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Album Reviews : Void Rot – Consumed by Oblivion

By on August 4, 2018

Sometimes, you see a band name and think to yourself ‘I think I’m going to like this’. Such was the case with Void Rot and their debut EP Consumed by Oblivion. My enthusiasm was only increased by the comparisons the band made between their sound and that of similar death/doom bands such as Krypts and Spectral Voice turning my ‘I might like it’ into a ‘Hell yeah!’. Thankfully, the EP does not disappoint, with the band delivering three tracks of crushing death/doom that merges the atmosphere of Spectral Voice with the crushing-yet-melodic approach to their genre previously seen in bands such as diSEMBOWELMENT.

Opening track ‘Ancient Seed’ establishes the general pattern of the EP well with an excellent opening riff and a slow, menacing build that creates an oppressive atmosphere. Vocals are murky and nigh unintelligible (as is tradition) and the mix supports the general aesthetic of the EP well, showing that the band are certainly living up to their name. I’m particularly fond of how far to the front of the mix the guitars are, while everything else is somewhat buried in the mix, resulting in quite a warm sound that complements the murky atmosphere well. Impressive songwriting is on display with the main riffs developed well as musical ideas, rather than a simple succession of riffs, and a good sense of pacing is evident with the riffs picking up in speed and intensity at the right moments, or dropping back into a sinister groove. ‘Consumed by Oblivion’ develops the doomy vibe further, but throws an excellent riff into the middle that demonstrates to all that Void Rot can riff with the best of them, as well as drown the listener in a murky void of cosmic doom. The vocals are particularly effective in this track, putting me in mind of stylings of recent Finn-death revival bands such as Tomb Mold. The drumming on this track is equally noteworthy and they’re extremely effective in establishing a great groove and adding some variety in the form of little fills and riffs on the kit to keep things interesting when the guitar/bass loop their riffs around. ‘Celestial Plague’ closes out the EP well and again shows some great songwriting technique. There’s a somewhat ‘classical’ air to the main riff, and the musical development of the rhythm guitar/bass line throughout the intro riff is superb with little inflections of harmony to add interest and flair to the piece. The song builds well, adding in a few different riffs and atmospheres as it progresses, and even a touch of lead guitar work.

The main ‘drawback’ for this EP isn’t really a drawback – I want more, three songs aren’t enough! This is a promising debut EP that hits all the right notes, with the possible exception that there’s not a huge amount of variety here (understandably with a three-track EP, and they’ve done all they can with only three songs). I eagerly await the inevitable full-length follow-up; this is a must-listen for fans of modern death/doom (and fans of either of those genres alone) and sets Void Rot apart as an up-and-coming band to keep an eye on.

Band: Void Rot
Album: Consumed by Oblivion
Year: 2018
Genre: Death / Doom Metal
Label: Everlasting Spew Records
Origin: USA
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About

Ben is a metalhead originally from Sydney, who has now moved to Hobart to pursue a PhD in Australian extreme metal. When not studying, writing about or playing metal, he can be found playing video games, browsing Reddit, knitting, fending off his cat or helping out at his local church.