9 Feb 2018

Over the Voids...: "Over the Voids"


Consistently uninteresting with few exceptions
Over the years I've found the part of the black metal scene that consists of one-man bands to be the most hit-or-miss prone part. The Fall is a Polish musician who has been involved with quite a few bands, playing live bass for the likes of Mgla and Clandestine Blaze. Over the Voids... is the first band in which he claims the guitar (and all other roles within the band as well) as his instrument, and that does show in the final product.


"...his raw, rasping vocals are definitely the most interesting aspect..."

The self-titled debut is the type of album that is exceptionally hard to say anything meaningful about because it sounds so much like a text book example of how black metal is written and performed in the 2010s. The Fall opts for a rather simple and straight forward instrumentational setup, but his raw, rasping vocals are definitely the most interesting aspect of Over the Voids..., leading me to wonder why his vocal performance hasn't been more greatly utilised in his other projects.

Never Again Will They Hunger, the first single from the album, shines as the leading star and closing track. Through a multilayered mix of mid-tempo, Inquisition-style riffing with the addition of ecclessiarchal chants, this is where Over the Voids... comes the closest to achieving a distinct and unique sound. The fact that The Fall's usual role is that of the bassist shows in the riffs, which at times comes off a bit bland, despite his efforts to vary his techniques and structures. Over the Voids ticks all the right boxes, but the riffs and overall structures often feel a bit too straight and narrow.

6/10


Released in 2017 by Nordvis Produktion

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