Review: “In Unreality’s Coffin” by Ectovoid

Birmingham Alabama hell-hounds Ectovoid have spent the past fifteen years decimating the weak and thinning the herd with unsettling lyrical musings set to a disturbing soundtrack as they explore the deepest, darkest, bleakest recesses of the mind. Featuring in their ranks members of Homicidal Maniacs, Seraphic Entombment and Father Befouled the four piece have made fans wait six years for the follow up to 2019’s EP “Inner Death“ and some feared it may never happen. However there were a few who knew the truth, one of those being Alex Parra (Varkan, Sadistic Ritual, Atrophy) at Second Sight Sound who recorded and engineered the bands third studio album “In Unreality’s Coffin” in three sessions as far back as in 2023. He would go on to mix the record in 2025 before Dan Lowndes (Cerebral Rot, Penny Coffin, Sepulchral Curse) at Resonance Sound Studio mastered with Paolo Girardi (The Black Dahlia Murder, Deathcrush, Cryptopsy) providing the artwork…

Described as a an exhumation of the spectral essence of Death Metal “In Unreality’s Coffin” begins with “Dissonance Corporeum“, a powerful statement piece that sets an ominous tone. Inspired by the likes of Autopsy and Immolation, the riffs from Charles Southern and Chuck Bryant provide the sinister urge with the warmth of nostalgia to match the percussive artillery shelling from drummer Chris McDonald and the rumbling bass of Ryan Sullivan meaning you can’t escape the feeling that something wicked this way comes. The bands last studio output with Southern and first with Sullivan is soaked in themes of dread, nothingness, perception and ultimately death, all of which have been woven into the very fabric of everything the band have conjured since their inception. Showing no signs of slowing down “Collapsing Spiritual Nebula” roars into life with a guttural moment before restless and relentless kit work offers a blackened edge as the knife rises. The vocals are kept purposefully sparse as Ectovoid focus their efforts on creating an atmosphere of existential dread, but when they do surface they’re suitably venomous. As with the opening cut this one has a Death Thrash style whammy bar drop solo however rather than stopping on a dime it continues into some entrancing leads which makes for a standout moment of pure evil. “Intrusive Illusions (Echoes From A Distant Plane)” has a glorious rise and fall to it, mixing the throat splitting harsh vocals with disturbing whispers to wonderful effect. That leaves you with a scorching scream-a-long anthem of poise, presence and power that stands out even before the masterful solo in the dying embers. A lyrical narrative reminiscent of John Carpenter’s “The Thing” has been created for “Formless Seeking Form“, a cut that chills to the bone with mid-tempo riffs and dark storytelling. This one has an extended solo that leaves the fretboard smoldering, the decision to overlay it with chanted vocal patterns a masterstroke.

Chris McDonald’s kit performance on “Irradiated Self” is reminiscent of the early works of Igor Cavalera in Sepultura as he provides clever and inventive fills, never afraid to express himself in texture or intensity while providing the covering fire for the bands Death Groove infused riffs. You can just picture him practicing in a dark, damp basement torture chamber hell somewhere, hammering home the coffin nails with an evil grin and disturbing the neighbors in the process. “In Unreality’s Coffin” follows in similar fashion, using the same formula to similarly savage effect as the band toy with old school riffs that feel like they’ve been inspired by the 90’s Florida scene while having a more modern cutting edge. What makes it really stand out is Bryant’s storytelling capabilities which seem to grow in stature with each song. By the time you reach “Erroneous Birth” the album feels like the perfect soundscape to a horror movie, this one being particularly menacing and sinister despite having more in the way of melody in the lead guitar parts. The war drums pound as the backing vocals from Southern rise to the surface, their shriller tone something the band don’t use as much as they could here even though they work well and offer a nice contrast. Exploring more melodic territory instrumental “It Is Without Shape…” has some eerie ethereal sounds with its Death Metal cage and ends up sounding like something that could have served as either the album introduction or perhaps the mid section of a more progressive tune. As an independent piece it works well, cleansing the mind in preparation for “In Anguished Levitation“, another which finds the band offering a few scattered whispered vocal moments on an otherwise almost mournfully melancholic tune. The longest cut of the record with arguably the most masterful of solos, this one evolves into a headbangers delight before its bitter conclusion with effortless groove in abundance [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Dissonance Corporeum
2. Collapsing Spiritual Nebula
3. Intrusive Illusions (Echoes From A Distant Plane)
4. Formless Seeking Form
5. Irradiated Self
6. In Unreality’s Coffin
7. Erroneous Birth
8. It Is Without Shape…
9. In Anguished Levitation

“In Unreality’s Coffin” by Ectovoid is out 9th January 2026 via Everlasting Spew Records and is available over at bandcamp