Release Date: October 17th 2025. Record Label: Aural Music. Formats: DD/Vinyl
The Abyss Into Which We All Have To Stare - Tracklisting
1.Dark Gift 01:30
2.Omens From Nothingness 07:54
3.Misfortune Teller 05:35
4.Lullaby of Woe 09:58
5.From An Unborn Mother 09:00
6.Phantoms of Nihil 08:06
7.Of A Demon In My View 09:28
Members
Momo - Keyboards
Paso - Bass
Allo - Drums
Gale - Guitars / Backing Vocals
Burdo Vocals / Guitars
Review
The Abyss Into Which We All Have To Stare is the fourth full length record from Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers Void Of Sleep and could be considered their “Art House” album. As this takes on a different tone compared to their previous albums. The sound is dominated by a Progressive and Post-Metal attitude with harsh musical environments developing from a gloomy creative attitude that has a certain nihilistic vision that arrives from the very beginning of the whole album.
There are grooves and extended melodies waiting to be discovered on the album but it’s not as groove based or riff-centric as their earlier records. This is Void Of Sleep’s most mature and aggressive record to date with harsh vocals appearing and violent Sludge/Post-Metal beats that gives a wholly dark contrast that lasts throughout the whole album. Void Of Sleep have employed the use of Synths for the very first time which is quite a bold and powerful decision for the band to take but it works wonders adding a level of complexity to their music.
Opening track Dark Gift is an extended Ambient number which sets up the eerie tone of the album before the second track Omens From Nothingness allows Void Of Sleep to enter the DOOM & GLOOM realm of musical landscapes with a thrilling style of Progressive energy which should appeal to bands such as YOB and Neurosis. The narrative is quite unforgiving with the bleak lyrics that the band have written for this track alone.
Third track Misfortune Teller sees Void Of Sleep play similar musical ground as their acclaimed 2014 record Tales Between Reality And Madness but inject it with their new-found Progressive Metal sound. The riffs are complex, haunting, melodic and brutally primal at times. The song transforms into areas of Grunge, Post-Doom and Post-Rock with a cautious Spaced Out vibe with insightful vocals throughout.
There is a lot going on with Void Of Sleep creating complex sounds and progressive energy which does feel like it has an identity crisis at times but I mean that as a huge compliment. As the band never stick to one particular style of heavy music and play what only they truly desire which comes into great effect on the excellent fourth track Lullably Of Woe which can be quite Jazzy in places with a trippy experimental energy.
The songs on the second half of the album are quite long, running between eight minutes to almost ten minutes in length. Void Of Sleep develop into fully fledged Atmospheric Sludge Metal warriors where they leave the STONER METAL world behind with complex instrumental passages and dominant social commentary on tracks such as From An Unborn Mother, Phantoms Of Nihil And Of A Demon In My View.
The Abyss Into Which We All Have To Stare can be quite beautiful and peaceful to listen to within the quieter and more reflective moments. However, the majority of the album is powered by a dominant Sludge/Post-Metal score which is where the real beauty of Void Of Sleep’s music really comes through and allows this record to be a haunting and emotionally charged record of the highest order.
Words by Steve Howe
The Abyss Into Which We All Have To Stare is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Aural Music.
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