Black metal band, Void Omnia, is a ripping good time out of Oakland, California. The band was formed in 2011 from the ashes of a number of other Oakland bands, taking their time to hone their craft. The result of those past years is this debut LP, Dying Light. With the help of the local Earhammer Studios, Void Omnia have truly outdone themselves with this album. It is clear where all of that time went, and the perserverance should surely be rewarded. Fitting of the cover art, the arrangments here have an atmosphere of galactic proportions, but at no point skimping on the aggression.
I know I've said this a a few times since I crossed paths with Deviod of Light, but do you dig UADA? The question is very relevant here, as Void Omnia could easily share the stage with those dudes. That's not to say that the whole melodic-Dissection-influences-crossed-with-post-black wasn't a thing before them, but it makes for a simple reference point. In any case, prepare yourself to be berated with furious layering of tremolo guitar that is simultaneously filled with sorrow and blazing to the touch. The first two tracks, "Remanence Of A Ghost Haunt" and "Fallowed Remembrance" have enough of this in their joint 14 minutes or so to warrant an EP of their own.
And the vocals? Tyrannous. The shrieks and howls on display in Dying Light are acerbic blasts that melt the ear canal to the bone. Ken Sorceron is another name worth dropping. Had Abigail Williams focused their last album solely on tracks like "Path of Broken Glass" and "Lost Communion," it would have sounded a lot like this one. I am in love with every breath uttered. And amidst the raging firestorm of guitars and nihilistic wretching, the drums are equally-if not more so-destructive. The sheer speed of the kick pedal is surely an afront to the old gods, but they'll have a hard time catching up if they plan on enacting retribution.
I must apologize 100 times over for years I spent previously talking about how USBM lacks the flair for the kvlt. I have been wrong. Oh so wrong. While I have still yet to see a live show as intense as those from the remnants of Norway's 2nd wave (freakin-A Taake was so good), bands like Void Omnia are no slouches when it comes to bringing dark tunes that are no less vile and evil-sounding. This is music that will surely scare the parents...unless they're cool parents like me. If I catch my daughters listening to anything like this I'll probably take them out for ice cream. It's that Nikki Minaj crap I'm worried about.