Deathless Void is a death/black metal band from the Netherlands, who hit the scene a couple years ago with their debut demo. Now they are back with their debut full-length album, “The Voluptuous Fire of Sin.”
And what an album it is! It sounds absolutely evil…I mean, this album is just drenched with everything that once made people so afraid of the extreme genres of metal. The overall atmosphere is hellish wrapped up in nonstop bloodletting. However, what makes the album so goddamn fantastic is that it isn’t self-absorbed in its extremity. It doesn’t exist for the sole sake of carnage but, rather, uses its black and death metal roots as just another tool in its songwriting arsenal.
It is a far more dynamic album than what a lot of extreme artists can pull off yet it’s so focused that listening to it will increase your heart rate. Dangerous yet smartly written? Yes, please. This album demands multiple listens because to fully absorb its fury can’t possibly be done in just one or even a few listens.
Ominous landscapes signal the coming storm that is “Psychedelic Warfare.” By the time the built in minute long intro finally burst open, I was already mentally trying to prepare myself for the aural assault. Inhuman drums, whiplash riffs and pulsing bass rip through my ear drums. A change for recovery is blown away (as if it was going to happen anyway) when the necrotic vocals batter their way through. The drums complement the song so well, a barrage of patterns that seek to induce psychosis even as they crush.
The band doesn’t always need a warm up, so says, “The Shattered Realms of Man Become the Abyss.” This song begins so quickly that it felt like I was trying to constantly keep up with it, only to find myself failing. By the time the song reached it ends, I was exhausted. Is it possible for a song to be a physical force? I think it just might be; at the very least, this song makes a good case for the possibility.
A curveball is thrown out with “Iside,” and I found it to be a nice respite but also haunting and ancient. I’m glad its there because the next song, “Burning Shapes Without Form,” is a doozy.
You can tell me all you want that extreme metal doesn't have heart or soul but you’ll also be wrong all day long. “Burning Shapes…” has plenty of that stuff, even if it’s seething rage, hatred and contempt. The riffs on this song are truly special….violent but catchy with a groove that sounds like it was burst from the flames of perdition. The song (slightly) pulls back during the mid-section, allowing for a surprisingly atmospheric passage.
One of my favorites on the album is “Crossing The Threshold,” because of the slower pace of the guitars against the backdrop of the insane drumming. This song is like a force that pushes its way inside you. A lot of deadly but catchy riffs on this song and the bass stands out particularly well.
The final song is “Curse Upon You,” and its, of course, a banger. The assault begins fast and heavy and just constantly one ups itself. It’s like “but wait there’s more!” of blackened death metal. The last couple minutes generate a truly sulphuric, sinister atmosphere
Deathless Void have released an impressive debut album with “The Voluptuous Fire of Sin” and there is very little one can do against except embrace the darkness and let it in.
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