Supreme Void - Towards Oblivion

Supreme Void is a technical death metal band from Poland, who started as Depravity in 2016.  “Towards Oblivion,” is their full-length debut; they have also released an EP.

This is exactly the kind of tech death metal that I like.  This isn’t flashy with endless noodling but instead straight up brutality.  They take a page from legends like Suffocation and Immolation, in that their technical prowess is more riff based, instead of trying to sound like a full body dry heave going 1000 mph.   Both Ravager and Exile are riff masters, able to play with mind-bending proficiency without pushing the songs to edges they don’t need to be.  

The six songs that rage across its 40 minute runtime are thick and oppressive, adding a lot of dissonance to their more heavy handed approach to tech.  The production is absolutely flawless; the album sounds MASSIVE–listen with a decent pair of headphones and it will feel like your brain is filling up with cement.  For this style, the album is the perfect length too.  

But it’s not brick walled.  Every moment, every note of the oppressive dissonance can be felt.  The bass isn’t buried either, which tends to be a problem with music this heavy.  In all actuality, the instruments are quite clear yet refined so much that not an ounce of brutal punishment is weakened. 

I’m equally as impressed with the approach used by the vocalist and drummer.  So many modern tech death bands use those two elements as the focus—and it often becomes very boring, very fast.  That isn’t the case with “Towards Oblivion.”  Both Cyklon and Exile turn in stalwart performances but they are part of the song, part of the overall picture, without the need to be over-dramatic.  

This is a very memorable set of songs, too.   Technical flourish may be impressive on some primal level but if I listen to *insert modern tech death album here* I won’t remember much of it.  I’ll enjoy it while it plays, sure, but it won’t be memorable to me. 

“Towards Oblivion,” doesn’t have that problem for me—I actually wanted to go back and listen to this one because all the songs have some really cool parts and atmosphere.

“Remnant of Hope,” begins with a dissonant approach, highlighted by sharp, tight drumming.  The riffs are groovy too, holding the rhythm in between bouts of speed.  Exile’s vocals are fantastic—growls that aren’t too deep and high screams that are truly menacing.  He doesn't sound like he is just throwing out lyrics just to add to the rhythm…there is real purpose in his abilities. I also love that the band isn’t afraid to slow it down a few notches, such as around the halfway mark of “Remnants of Hope.”  It makes their sound that much more suffocating and destructive.

“Eclipse of the Exalted,” is maddening, especially in the beginning with the dissonance trading back and forth between focused evisceration.  There is an urgency to the middle portion of the song, the band reaching for the top, hitting it, but instead of coming down they just find another mountain to climb.  But my favorite moment is around the 3:37 mark where it pulls back on the tempo again and brings with it CRUSHING riffs.

The final song, “Embrace Extinction,” is possibly my favorite.  It has a gritty and raw feel to it—soundtrack to the end of days.  The riffs are methodical while also being pulverizing but the band’s ability to add in that dissonant atmosphere so smoothly pushes it to the next level. 

The solo around the 2:41 mark is surprisingly melodic but with the insane double bass and pulsating bass, the song never loses potency.  Speaking of which…after a nice little passage where the drums and bass shine, the band turns up the gas and brings it home hard.

Supreme Void’s “Towards Oblivion,” is technical death metal done right and, as far as I’m concerned, set the standard by which I will judge any future releases in the tech genre against. 

Rating:  Excellent