Void of Silence – Human Antithesis
Code666 – Code024 - 2004
By Nathan Pearce
As somebody totally new to
Void of Silence, I didn’t expect anything from this CD. After MANY listens to this amazing piece of work, known as
Human Antithesis, I can now call myself a huge fan of this band, and I expect this album to achieve much critical praise for the band.
Void of Silence has been around since 1999, and I was apparently doing something else when they released their critically acclaimed
Criteria ov 666. However, other fans unfamiliar with this band should not hesitate to start their listening experiences with
Human Antithesis. Featuring Alan Nemtheanga of
Primordial on vocals,
Void of Silence creates is an epic and intimidating experience. Combining what can only be classified as a heavy dose of apocalyptic doom with dark-ambient and industrial-drone,
Human Antithesis comes off as quite experimental on first listen. However, several listens later, and I was completely sucked into a mesmerizing atmosphere of beauty and sorrow, darkness and oblivion, and ultimately pleasure and catharsis.
Album opener “Human Antithesis” is easily the highlight of this adventure in doom. The song is broken into three parts, and draws the listener into its apocalyptic vision of fire and ash. Unfortunately the promo copy I have does not have a lyric sheet, and with all the attention to detail within the structure, nuance, and atmosphere of the music, I feel like I really need the lyrics sitting in front of me to get a firm grasp on that aspect of the music. Not to worry, though; the music itself is the true highlight on
Human Antithesis.
From the serene textures of acoustic guitars and keyboards, to the industrial soundscapes and samples, to the death growls and crushing metal guitars,
Void of Silence has created an album capable of satisfying doom fans of old, while still moving the genre forward more than almost any other band has done in recent years.
9/10
Void of Silence’s Official Website
Code666’s Official Website
