Void King

Indianapolis doom band Void King shakes the earth again with The Hidden Hymnal.

Void King has been laying down powerful doom since 2014. Headquartered in the center of the country, they released an EP in 2015, Zep Tepi, and two long-players after that, There Is Nothing (2016) and Barren Dominion (2019). I sang the praises of their 2019 album some time ago (link to review below), and I have been following them all along. Void King is a band to be reckoned with in the world of doom. The musicians are Derek Felix (percussion), Chris Carroll (bass), Jason Kindred (voice), and Tommy Miller (guitar).

“Egg Of The Sun” is the longest track on the record and it is the one that starts things off. I like this approach, but you don’t often see it. Massive, crushing riffs clear space for Kindred’s sweeping, probing voice and together they show you what you are in for with this music for next thirty-six minutes. The lead guitar passage near the end of the song is entrancing. “The Grackle” comes next and hits at a high tempo in direct divergence from the heavy, slow doom of the opener. It is aggressive and filled with adrenaline. “Engulfed In Absence” is also up-tempo, and it has a searing quality to it. There is a downshift in the middle that brings back the steady doom power and closes down side one.

On the flip, “When The Pinecones Close Up” sounds like a dire warning. If you listen to the lyrics, the situation is even more unsettling. “My hands are needles and pins / My vision slowly does spin / Pushed to critical mass / Resistance is futile for the towers always win.” The weight of the music matches perfectly the sentiment of the narrative. “Brother Tried,” speaking of dire, is an accurate telling of the world we live in, and the final song, “Drink In The Light,” a beautifully dark musical expression. Void King has done it again. Recommended. It is also worth noting that this album is the first of a two-part release, so keep a look out for the second half.

The Hidden Hymnal is out now. You can listen and buy it through the links below. At Bandcamp, you can also buy the band’s entire digital discography at a discount – that’s the move.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://voidking.bandcamp.com/album/the-hidden-hymnal

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/voidkingband/

FFMB review of Barren Dominion, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2019/09/10/void-king-barren-dominion-off-the-record-2019/

Doom Metal keeps expanding at what seems like an exponential rate. It is a little puzzling, but trends are never easy to predict. Maybe it is the stoner angle so much of doom relies on – it caught a wave on the edges of the ever-widening decriminalization of cannabis products at the state level in the US. Or maybe it is just that there is a lot of grey area with crossover potential so the fan base is expanding like slowly rising waters in a gradual flood. Whatever it is, there are more doom bands than ever now, and that’s good for me because I am a doom fan.

One band to keep an eye on is Void King, who have a new release called Barren Dominion blowing in on a dark wind from the Midwest. Contemplative, buzzy, and riffy, the eight songs have a consistent structure of rising from quiet to urging persistent percussion and then heavy drops the doom. Jason Kindred’s vocals put me in mind of Tony Martin’s performance on The Eternal Idol with echoes of Danzig laced in there as well. The effect is impressive, and vocals pile on to the other instruments in creating a big sound that fills all the corners of your head. This new one is the band’s second release, and it is a step up in song writing and performance that signals an expanding future. It is difficult to stand out in the doom field because there are so many bands, perhaps necessarily, that have a similar sound. It is therefore difficult to produce something memorable like Barren Dominion.

If you can catch Void King live, that’s the way to go. Their next gig is in Indy on September 14 at Black Circle Brewing – it is the release show for Barren Dominion and it will be a great way to spend your Saturday night.

Links…

Buy: https://voidking.bandcamp.com/
Band Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voidkingband/

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Void King, The Hidden Hymnal (2023)

Void King, Barren Dominion (Off The Record, 2019).