Saturday 25 April 2020

Forming The Void - Reverie (Album Review)


Release date: May 8th 2020. Label: Ripple Music. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Reverie – Tracklisting

1.Sage
2.Onward through the Haze
3.Trace the Omen 05:28
4.Manifest 05:22
5.Electric Hive
6.Ancient Satellite 04:54
7.The Ending Cometh

Review

Sometimes you have to look back before you can move forward and it seems Forming The Void have taken this view with their new album Reverie. As this album feels like the spiritual successor to the bands acclaimed debut album – Skyward – whilst still progressing with the themes contained on the bands previous 2 albums – Rift and Relic.

This is Forming The Void 4th album within the last 5 years and I’ve always been impressed by the guys work ethic by releasing an album every 18 months or so. Reverie is quite sonically different in places with the progressive grooves that Forming The Void have included on this album.

Opening song – Sage – is classic Forming The Void through and through with epic grooves and distorted riffs being built upon James vocals. The band don’t take long to play some epic guitar solos that will leave long-time fans of the band feel already at home. The precise drumming from Thomas is swift and quite brutal in places. The whole flow and sound of the album is more direct and you feel part of the action from the very start.

Second song – Onward Through The Haze – starts off slowly and patiently before the soothing Psychedelic/Spaced Out Grooves transform into a heavier style of Sludge/Stoner Metal with the music being LOUD and PROGRESSIVE from start to finish. The atmosphere ventures into Post-Rock/Post-Metal territories in places whilst retaining a Stoner Metal spirit that allows the band to play some of the heaviest riffs of their career to date.

Third song – Trace The Omen – blends haunting psychedelic melodies with a more reflective change of pace from the band with James being in a more meditative state and the lyrics being “way out-there” in places. The lush Middle Eastern vibe is quite beautiful to hear. Though,you know with this being Forming The Void, the band are going to change direction and play a more destructive style of music. And that prediction comes true around the 3rd minute when the Psychedelic/Spaced Out atmosphere moves up a destructive gear and James vocals go into overdrive with trippy chants that we haven’t heard from the band before.

Fourth song – Manifest – opens with an eerie acoustic solitary guitar that is quite abstract but is superbly played and I was expecting this song to be an acoustic song but Forming The Void then unleash one of heaviest and standout songs on the album. The song is quite slow-paced to begin with and Forming The Void bring many different ideas on this song but everything works as it should. The song is bold and adventurous in all the right places whilst allowing the band to play some of their trademark classic sounds against a Psychedelic Stoner Metal backdrop.

The final 3 songs allows Forming The Void to create more mysterious sounding Sludge/Stoner Metal sounds with the music being creative and daring in all the right places that reminds me of their classic debut album – Skyward released back in 2015. Though, Forming The Void have still managed to create an album that’s vastly different to previous efforts.

Forming The Void are now signed to Ripple Music for this album and I’ve said this multiple times. All records from Ripple Music are quality releases that always sound amazing and Reverie is no different. Forming The Void have worked with some great labels in their career already such as Kozmik Artifactz and Argonauta Records and it’s good to see the band aligning themselves with Ripple Music for this album.

Reverie is without a doubt, Forming The Void best album to date and another album of the year contender from the band.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. Reverie will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music from May 8th 2020.

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