INTRODUCING: Vøidwomb
There’s no questioning the level of quality that resides in the extreme metal underground. Subterranean outfits peddling brutality in forms that can often eclipse the AAA bands at the top of the genre aren’t as rare as they initially might see if you know where to look. But sometimes, when the stars align, something truly special can rise from the depths, a band that carries all the promise to be world-beaters and breathe fresh winds of pestilence into a genre that, for all its quality, can sometimes seem stagnant. Enter VØIDWOMB – a Portuguese quintet channelling a new breed of brutality.
“VØIDWOMB is the gathering of a bunch of guys who have a real passion for the underground; we are just the convergence of each of our musical tastes. VØIDWOMB is a free act of musical creation, without attachment to preconceived ideas.” Speaks guitarist Lord on the sonic palette of the band. “We are usually associated with blackened death metal, and although we don’t like to label our style of music we think that description fits well with our work. But really, we just like to think that we play extreme music; VØIDWOMB is extreme music with its own identity.”
Formed in 2019 out of Viana do Castelo in Northern Portugal, the Portuguese five-piece released their stunning debut EP – Altars of Cosmic Devotion – in February this year via Iron Bonehead Productions to immediate critical acclaim; and the excitement surrounding VØIDWOMB has only risen from there.
“The feedback has been great, far better than we expected before the release. Sometimes it seems hard to believe – we’ve had so many positive reviews that have made us proud of what we’ve achieved.” Guitarist and backing vocalist Fractal reflects on the overwhelmingly positive critical response Altars of Cosmic Devotion faced and the strong relationship the band have already developed with Iron Bonehead Productions. “Patrick from Iron Bonehead has done a wonderful job with us, he is very professional and respects all the artists he works with. That was a very important thing in the development and success of Altars of Cosmic Devotion – respect and professionalism. He has helped us spread our work all over the word and the feedback is always very positive.”
From even the most casual first listen of Altars of Cosmic Devotion, it’s immediately clear that the positivity and excitement surrounding VØIDWOMB isn’t hyperbole or the result of a manufactured hype train. As is the case with all but the most comically detailed of sub-genre tags, ‘blackened death metal’ is just specific enough to give a would-be listener a reasonable idea of what to expect, while being broad enough to give the band in question enough wiggle room to be as expansive and unique as they wish. VØIDWOMB certainly follow that remit. While there’s no questioning the sonic roots of their sound, Altars of Cosmic Devotion is no mere blast of mid-career BEHEMOTH worship. Barrages of old-school death metal not too dissimilar to those found in the iconic Swedish and Florida death metal scenes interweave magically with ethereal atmospherics, melodic black metal riffage and traditional blackened vitriol. Lean, tight and packed with creative genius, the Portuguese outfit make use of every single second of the EPs run time – even the introductory track, a trope that often offers little except extra padding, serves a purpose. There’s nothing exactly new about their sonic makeup, but the songwriting mastery VØIDWOMB display across their debut offering is so exciting and refreshing in its brutality.
“We all have different musical tastes and musical backgrounds, both inside and outside of heavy music.” Drummer Noctvs begins, echoing Lord’s previous sentiments on the essence of the band’s sound. “But one thing we have in common: we like our metal heavy and extreme. Heaviness is a part of us, and it runs in our veins.”
“The act of creation is something constant in VØIDWOMB and we are not attached to one specific style of lyrical theme. We play and create what our feelings demand, and that’s not a static thing.” Bassist F.S continues, before discussing what’s next for the band. “I don’t know how it’s going to be in the future, we just want to enjoy our music and share it with our followers… It’s a little bit soon to talk about [what’s next for VØIDWOMB] but probably we will start to record our debut full-length before the beginning of summer – we hope to release it later this year.”
While there’s no getting away from the fact that, musically, Altars of Cosmic Devotion absolutely slays from the opening note to the last, under the blackened surface lies another facet of its charm. Though not a concept EP in a traditional sense, VØIDWOMB’s debut release follows, at the very least, a unifying theme. While the likes of BEHEMOTH and the ANGELCORPSE of old turned their blackened death metal stylings toward the more traditional metal lyricism of Satanism, HATE in recent years have begun exploring the Slavonic mythology of their homeland and CRESCENT are firmly rooted in the history of their native Egypt, VØIDWOMB offer up themes even more ancient, more cosmic.
“At the time the lyrics were written, I was very interested in certain subjects. I was reading a lot about ancient civilisations, Sumer in particular, and about their vision of the cosmos. I think there is a lot about them that is still unknown. I’m also a fan of the ancient astronaut theories, and that was the starting point for the lyrical concept of Altars of Cosmic Devotion.” Vocalist and lyricist M.S.Vøid explains, his lyrics telling tales of Ancient Sumeria, of majestic ziggurats and Annunaki, of cosmic deities more ancient and grand than we can ever know. While ancient astronaut theories have become something of a meme in recent years thanks to History Channel’s Ancient Aliens, and although there is a severe lack of archaeological evidence to support these theories, the works of Erich von Däniken which initially popularised these ideas remain to be interesting at the very least.
“Our existence and our history are like a puzzle and there are some important pieces missing – but I believe that there is also a lot to discover. Some things have been buried by the sands of time. Some pieces were drowned by the water, tides that hide an antediluvian and amazing ancient world. And there are also others that are covered and hidden by human hands.” M.S.Vøid continues, musing on the history of our existence, and how these ancient astronaut theories interest him and impact his lyrics. “Some of those things could change our existence forever. Maybe men are afraid of something, or are too blind to see further. Who knows if the truth about creation is something that is considered absurd to us today? I think we need to question more, rather than accepting or being satisfied with the state of things. Man must seek the truth, and never be satisfied with the answers they find on their path towards self-knowledge, the purpose of their existence and the role they play in the universe. That last sentence explains what VØIDWOMB talks about – the micro cosmos and the macro cosmos.”
This conceptual basis, this theme of Ancient Sumeria and the Annunaki, doesn’t start and end within the lyrics of Altars of Cosmic Devotion, though. Keen to really hammer home the thematic element of the EP, the cover art ties in very nicely. “The artwork was made by Daniel Hermosilla (Nox Fragor Art) from Chile – a very talented painter and musician. We found him through Italian band COSMIC PUTREFACTION – I was listening to their newest album The Horizon Towards Which Splendour Withers and I was amazed by the cover art.” M.S.Vøid explains before going into detail on the concept behind the art. “Regarding the subject of the artwork itself, we can say that ancient civilisations had a particular vision of the universe – sometimes it seems they know things that modern man has not yet discovered; the connection between the gods they worshipped and the cosmos is undeniable. They built temples, megaliths, pyramids and ziggurats and all those constructions were built to worship the stars. The cover art is the top of a ziggurat, it is an altar of cosmic devotion.”
VØIDWOMB are a fascinating outfit to come into being. Altars of Cosmic Devotion is thematically interesting and musically borderline flawless; their riffs are as cosmic as their lyrics. Somehow they manage to tick all the boxes one would expect from a blackened death metal band, while also remaining unique, far from a carbon copy of more established acts that have come before. The only question that remains now is, with the hope of a full-length album to come before the year is out, will VØIDWOMB themselves be worshipped at the altars of cosmic devotion or are they destined to fade away into the cosmic wastes?
Altars of Cosmic Devotion is out now via Iron Bonehead Productions.
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