EP REVIEW: Chronicles II: Heaven – Void Of Vision
Where Chronicles I: Lust left off with the scathing The Lonely People, and a shadowy glimpse into the new monochrome visuals and thoughtful world building of Melbourne’s most disruptive heavy outfit, Chronicles II: Heaven sees vocalist Jack Bergin marry the zeitgeist of techno-infused Berlin with the new wave of spiralling, catastrophic metalcore, continuing to lay the foundation for VOID OF VISION’s beguiling Chronicle series.
Citing the era of German Expressionism as inspiration lyrically and thematically for both EPs, the aptly titled Berghain opens the record with a pulsating riff that is galvanised by Bergin’s dry, throaty screams. The track bursts into colour with industrial noise sampling, a catchy LINKIN PARK chorus and continues its unhinged route to a ubiquitous VOID OF VISION drop-out breakdown.
Dominatrix’s intro renders images of big-arena drum and bass acts, with glitchy sampling that bleeds into a pop-tinged chorus that VOID OF VISION seem to be leaning into far more often. It has an amo-era BRING ME THE HORIZON anthemicism that contributes to the visual of Bergin gracing stadium stages soon — there seems to be an an element of manifestation to the expansive EP, with VOID OF VISION writing for rooms bigger than the ones they currently occupy.
This EP sees the Melbourne outfit invite clean choruses, throbbing industrial effects and a new-found vivacity into their arsenal, building upon 2019’s vitriolic Hyperdaze, even inviting UK cult-emo band CREEPER’s Hannah Hermione Greenwood on finale Altar, harking back to Hyperdaze (Redux), the album’s heavily-collaborative follow-up. VOID OF VISION are in apparent flux, with this EP acting as a statement of intent for future releases, complete with contemporary germanic cosplay, complex world-building and an inarguable new sense of purpose.
Not dissimilar from their antipodean contemporaries NORTHLANE, VOID OF VISION have been carefully constructing a more eye-catching image over the last few album cycles, pairing it with more transgressive, genreless soundscapes. They consistently distance themselves from the pre-conceived boundaries of ‘metalcore’ to the point where it would be a disservice to VOID OF VISION’s creative foresight to pigeonhole Chronicles II: Heaven as a metalcore release.
Distanced in time and maturity from the EDM-infused cringecore era of the early 2010s (notably ATTACK! ATTACK! and I SET MY FRIENDS ON FIRE), this EP, paired with its predecessor Chronicles I: Lust, continues to marry the distinct heavy tropes of EDM and progressive metal into a compelling amalgam, creating a chimeric organism that captures a new side of VOID OF VISION.
Rating: 7/10
Chronicles II: Heaven is set for release on April 29th via UNFD.
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