Review: “Disintegration” by Behold The Void

Formed in Moscow Russia in 2015, Behold The Void are a Blackened Progressive Deathcore act of some repute. Dropping their debut single “Endless Hunger” in 2017 and swiftly following up with an impressive debut EP “Black Mass” just six months later they have set the tone for their debut full length with a shroud of darkness. They have chosen the story of a disintegrating man’s slow and inevitable descent into madness alone with his inner demons as the subject for it. Recording with Amin Shadmanov (Uncrown, Pretender) before handing off to Baster Odeholm (Humanity’s Last Breath, Born Of Osiris, Currents) for Mixing and Mastering, the quartet look to have pulled out all the stops for this one…

All the warning signs of a lingering depression and black mood in the story of the protagonist are lyrically present in opening cut “Distant” which begins to choke off the air supply with a bludgeoning DJent riffs with nuanced Tech-Metal lead touches sparking out of the mix that provide momentary respite from the slow crush of the atmosphere and echos with dissonance before the bruising “The Light” brings Black Metal infused darkness and hints at influence from Humanity’s Last Breath. The final 30 seconds of this one are impressive as guitarist Evgeny Novoseltsev brings some more Tech-Metal lead flourishes into play. Skull crushing, bone snapping DJent heavy overtones of “Merciless One”  with its slow, bludgeoning groove injects new meaning into the phrase “a drawn out and painful death” with the protagonist of the story suffering more and more as each tale plays out,  before drummer Bryce Buttler brings in some Blast Beats to accompany some more progressive rhythmic diversity. Slab after concrete slab of riffs are backed by buried electronics that create a dark and oppressive atmospheric with Daniil Kaverin delivering some vocal chord shredding brutality.

Encircled In Death” keeps the tempo slow and crushing with each chug on the 8 string guitar ringing out before the next brutal strike. Kaverin’s vocals are wet and demonic with shrill touches showing off some range while bolstering the emotive lyrics that lurk just beneath the surface. Upping the tempo a notch for “Plots And Schemes” which keeps the dirge laden guitar tone while offering a greater dynamic between them, the synths and the drums, keeps everything shrouded in eternal darkness. It is the soundtrack to a horror filled nightmare akin to something from the mind of Chelsea Grin frontman Tom Barber but he many not have the low end to compete with Kaverin’s vocal prowess or the emotional connection to the lyrics that he brings to the plate. Use of Black Metal drumming in “Blindfold” with some seamless tempo shifts builds on the sinister atmosphere that the first trio of tracks have created, each one taking you further down the rabbit hole into the abyss that lies beneath. None of these tracks have a chorus as such but use repeated phrases to bring that element into play with “Enemy” for example having “I am here I’m by your side. Your greatest fear that came to live” within its fold. One of the longest cuts on the album, it doesn’t reach the 4 minute mark but it doesn’t need to to get its toxic black message across. A spoken word line adds a Gothic overtone while the closing breakdown is highlighted by some Progressive riffs adding a brighter note.

Adding some vocal layering to “Into the Bliss” and closing a phrasing with a spoken word are nice touches as the protagonist twists and turns, fighting against his awkward soul before “Agonia” introduces Melodic Black Metal overtones and an artillery shell bombardment of jackhammer footwork from Bryce Buttler. As instrumentals go, its placing on the album is intriguing as it would fit perfectly at any point within the album but instead is used as an introduction piece for the title track “Disintegration“. A stand out moment as a title track always should be, it takes everything up a level and decimates in the same way as bands like Black Tongue while concluding the narrative with a mournful yet merciless moment [7.5/10]

Track listing

1. Distant
2. The Light
3. Merciless One
4. Encircled in Death
5. Plots and Schemes
6. Blindfold
7. Enemy
8. Into the Bliss
9. Agonia
10. Disintegration

Disintegration” by Behold The Void is out 25th June and is available for pre-order over at bandcamp

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