Void of Vision is reborn.
Formed in Australia in 2013, the band led by Jack Bergin (vocals), James McKendrick (guitar/vocals), Mitch Fairlie (guitar) and George Pfaendner (drums) unveils in 2024 What I’ll Leave Behind, their fourth album, via the UNFD label.
Oblivion immediately strikes with a raw groove overlaid with modern influences infused with Industrial noise, and the occasional scream emerges, letting clean vocals take over the choruses. The track’s chaotic approach makes it unpredictable, but it gives way to Blood For Blood, which also gets us moving with a jerky, aggressive rhythm tinged with the same electronic samples. A cybernetic voice sometimes joins the vocalist before the final explosion, then the sound picks up again with the playful Supernova, a more accessible composition that mixes the two types of vocals to create catchy parts. Electro parts return in force on Neurotic, with the vocalist diversifying his placements to reveal intriguing Marilyn Manson-like intonations, but the energy resurfaces on Gamma Knife, where the rhythm alternates between joyful tones and devastating moshparts. Airy keyboards take over on Beautiful Things, offering a very calm approach, but the fury returns with the explosive Empty, where the full band mistreats their instruments to create choppy riffs with the occasional slightly more complex part. Ten seconds of respite are granted with the introduction of Midnight Sweat, then the rhythmic jumps back into its abrasive patterns under the raging screams, before Decades develops a slightly less tortured approach packed with samples, enveloping every note. The album comes to a close with Angel of Darkness, a final composition that is once again quite mellow compared to the others, even taking advantage of Pop accents for the heady choruses, but not forgetting the heaviness of the central break, finally blending the two worlds.
Void of Vision is part of a wave of modern-influenced bands developing short explosive tracks made for the stage. The energy of What I’ll Leave Behind is perfectly perceptible, and the transition to live performance will be decisive in confirming its quality!
70/100
