Sometimes I pick up an album and like it, but then I put it away for weeks or months before I revisit it. That was the case with Void’s new album Interstellar Voyage. I was initially surprised at how much I liked it, mainly because I discovered the record through a Facebook ad. Over time, the album has grown on me. It released on April 9.
Void seems like more of a project than a band. It apparently consists of Andrew Gossard on harsh and clean vox, and Ryan Wechta on guitars, keys, and drum programming. Alexandru Gal is their live drummer, but doesn’t appear to play on the album itself.
The project offers a great mix of sounds, though. The music here is death metal. It has progressive leanings, as well as groove and industrial. Some of the music is partially electronic and ambient, though, and comes off like a film score. This lends itself to the overall spacey, mysterious vibes of the album.
But there’s more to it than that. Andrew provides some rich harsh vocals that probably take up more than half the vocal portions. Yes, you will need to like harsh vox quite a bit to enjoy this album, but I find that the clean vocals take over more and more as the album progresses. Andrew’s clean voice isn’t typical, though. I can describe it as both monastic and ethereal, like a prophet projecting his voice into the void of space. It feels weird, at first, but I found myself enjoying this style more and more with each listen. It’s different, and I like it.
Ryan is the mastermind behind the music itself, and his skills are apparent. He is especially good on guitars with some dark, vicious riffs and licks that drive everything. Yes, the drums are programmed, but I don’t have a bias against such a thing, and they are honestly very convincing on this album.
The album tends to alternate between heavier tracks and ambient interludes. Some of the tracks mix the two sounds. “Pulsar Lighthouse” is a good example of a heavy track, as it opens the album with meaty riffs and a marching demeanor. “Lost in the Red” is an example of an ambient song, as it injects itself into the story with subtle burning grace. My favorite song on the album, “Electronic Fog”, mixes the two sounds. With its steady groove, gentle chorus, and keyboard-heavy ending, it only gets better with time.
Some other favorites are “Caught in a Forever Moment” with its driving groove and flashes of melody, “Magnetar” with its fantastic chorus, and “Evading Time” for its otherworldly sounds and giant main riff. I like how “Beyond the Red” appears to be a closing interlude of sorts, but you soon realize it is a metallic one, not electronic, breaking the rhythm the album has established. Yet, the album has a bonus track, which is a remix of “Caught in a Forever Moment”. It is a shorter, instrumental version with lots of electronic beats and abstractions thrown in, and it sounds awesome. I really like this as the official closing of the record.
Void can be difficult to find online, as it seems there are several bands with this name. However, seeking them out is worth the time. They have some great ideas that they execute well, and their handiwork has a certain quirk to it that becomes endearing and interesting as time passes. I really like this duo, and I hope that they lean into their chosen style more and more with confidence.
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Find Void online:
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The PROG Mind 