Forming The Void Return - An Interview With FORMING THE VOID

Forming The Void have been going from strength to strength since their formation back in 2013. The band have won a loyal and dedicated fan-base with their Trippy, Progressive and Psychedelic Sludge/Stoner Metal sounds.

The band released their debut album Skyward back in 2015 and since then the band haven't stopped releasing 3 critically acclaimed albums with Reverie being their latest and perhaps best album to date.

I last spoke to the band in June 2018 and I thought it was about time to interview the band again to see what has changed with the band and the making of their excellent new album Reverie and signing to Ripple Music.

Read on for more info....

Hi Guys. Thanks for doing this interview. How are things with you today?

Doing well man. 2020 has been such a slow year, right? 

Since we last spoken in 2018, you have a new bassist with Thorn Letulle joining recently and Luke Baker leaving last year. Was this an amicable split with Luke. Are you still good friends and how did you guys meet Thorn?

Shadi, Luke, and I had been playing music together since 2013. A lot of life can happen in between that time and people’s motivations/goals change. There’s no bad blood. We’ve all known Thorn for many years. When Luke stepped aside Thorn showed interest in jamming and has been working out well since.

What does Thorn bring to Forming The Void’s sound?

Thorn’s taste in music overlaps with ours a good bit, though he does delve into the extreme a bit more than we do. His feel is heavy and loud. We’re really digging what he brings to the sound and rhythm section. 

A question for Thorn – So what’s life been like with Forming The Void. What are you most looking forward to with the band?

The transition has been relatively easy going. I've known the guys for years prior to my joining forces with them. In fact I believe I can even recall a Forming the Void debut performance. I'm very much looking forward to the enveloping creative process. The four of us make for a very diverse palette of creativity that will no doubt continue to drive future creative endeavours.

We can now talk about your brilliant new album – Reverie. I feel this album feels more in tone and scope with your debut album Skyward but with the modern sounds you included on your last two albums. Is that a fair assumption to make?

There are a few elements that we chose to bring back or lean a little heavier into from each of the previous albums -- as well as a couple things we hadn’t tried before. I think in a lot of ways this album is the best blend of the elements we’ve liked in past releases with the addition of a few elements we’ve been wanting to try.

What can people expect from Reverie?

This was the first full album that was written with Thomas on the drums so his style was really a fundamental part of the writing process in a way that wasn’t possible with Rift. We did a lot more pre-production than ever before so the feels of the riffs are more true to our live execution than in previous albums. Sonically I think this is the best recorded album we have to date. 

What was the recording experience like for Reverie and did you do anything different for this album compared to your previous albums?

This was the first album we recorded in a proper studio. It was a great experience to pack up and go to another city for a week to focus solely on recording. This was the first time we live tracked an album to a click with the whole band (sans lead guitar and vocals). It was a nice middle ground to be playing all together and get that live feeling, while still having some of the control and grounding that click can bring. 

You’ve now signed to Ripple Music for the release of this album. How did that come about?

Thomas has known Todd and Ripple for several years from his previous band, White Light Cemetery, who were signed with Ripple. We’d talked a few times here and there and we all officially met at Psycho Las Vegas in 2018. After some good talks in the center bar, we felt like it would be a good fit to work together.

Ripple Music are perhaps one of the best underground labels to be upon. Did you feel any extra pressure when making this album being signed to Ripple Music?

We always have a goal to improve and grow as a band and we strive to make each album have its own place in the genre. I think as artists you always want each subsequent release to be better in some way. 

Forming The Void are perhaps one of my favourite bands of recent years and I was a late starter to discovering you guys and that was with 2017’s Relic. I admire how quickly you guys release new material. Is that always your plan to release a new album every 18 months or so?

Thanks man, we really appreciate that and are glad to have your support. There’s no explicitly planned timeline so much as we just like writing and recording. It’s always a fun process to experiment and push yourself creatively.

Has it surprised you at how the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal Community has taken to Forming The Void since your debut album? It seems you guys get more and more love from the scene with each respective release that you put out.

Don’t jinx us, man! Ha-ha. We’ve been really fortunate in that regard. It’s a really tight-knit little scene and we’re stoked to be a part of it. 

What comes first with the band when making an album, Lyrics or Music?

Music always comes first for us, though some riffs will come with a couple lines right out of the gate that just work well.

COVID-19 has pretty much put a stop to all life as we know it for the time being. How big of an impact has it affected you guys. And how are you surviving in this stressful time?

We’re all really thankful to be doing well. Though It sucks to have had to cancel upcoming tours that the album release was based around but we’ve been lucky all things considered. We’re staying safe and keeping busy. Just trucking along looking forward to playing shows again! 

I was going to see you guys on your recently announced European Tour. Are you hoping this tour will be rearranged at a later date?

At this point, Red Crust Festival is back on the weekend of May 14th. We’re hoping to get a tour booked around that.

What have been your favourite records that you’ve heard this year? Regardless of any genre.

The new releases from King Buffalo, Elephant Tree, Acacia Strain, Oranssi Pazuzu, Tombs, and Kverlertak have all been killer.

Thanks for doing this interview. Before you go, do you have any words of wisdom that you want to say to your fans?

Thanks for all the support! We’re looking forward to playing shows again!

Words by Steve Howe and Forming The Void

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for arranging the interview. 

Reverie is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

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 4^th 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 3^rd 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.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

Forming The Void - Rift (Album Review)

Release date: August 18th 2018. Label: Kozmik Artifactz. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Rift – Tracklisting

1.Extinction Event

2.On We Sail

3.Arcane Mystic

4.Transient

5.Arrival

6.Ark Debris

7.Shrine

Members

James Marshall – guitar/vocals

Shadi Omar Al-Khansa- guitar

Luke Baker – bass

Thomas Colley - drums

Review

Forming The Void made quite the impression last year when they released their second album Relic. Relic was an album that won major praise within the Sludge/Stoner Metal community with the music influenced by Led Zepplin and Mastodon. Relic was a trippy and heavy psychedelic affair which even ended up on our best albums of 2017 list.

Forming The Void has return with their epic new album Rift. Newly signed to Kozmik Artifactz. Rift follows the same path as Relic but with a more groove orientated sound. Forming The Void's Sludge Rock/Metal vibes that made a huge part of Relic are still here but there not as direct. As Forming The Void perform a more Psychedelic Stoner Metal sound with heavy moments of Doom Metal and Classic Rock creating a more exciting sound.

Opening song - Extinction Event - has a Led Zepplin style groove but with Forming The Void's modern sounding Psychedelic flair with traces of Progressive Sludgy Rock. The mood even changes to Ambient Post Rock at times. However it's the heavy riffs and the superb vocals of James make this a winning track to open the album with.

Second track - On We Sail - is perhaps my favourite song on the album. As Forming The Void create a sludgy and spaced out heavy sound. The lyrics are superbly written and the song has a catchy sing-along chorus. Forming The Void maybe channelling their inner-Mastodon at times but the band pulls this off with their own distinctive style.

Third track - Arcane Mystic - is inspired by classic rock sounds of the last forty years or so which is offset by a heavy progressive Spaced Out Stoner Metal sound. The lyrics are quite clever as they elevate this song to a more spiritual level. Most of the songs on the album run around near the five to six minute mark. So you can expect to hear different styles of progressive music on Rift.

Fourth song - Transient - is another highlight with Forming The Void opting for a slower sound with the song having a more personal feel. The vocals from James impress yet again. The song does become heavier as time passes by. Though the mellow post-rock parts of the song are my favourite parts. As it shows how Forming The Void have progressed as songwriters and musicians from their last album.

The final three songs Arrival, Ark Debris and Shrine see Forming The Void returning to their trademark Psychedelic heavy sound. Cosmic and Ark Debris offer more Sludge/Stoner Metal grooves as the band keep up the trippy and space rock sound they have built their reputation upon. The last track, Shrine is an epic ten minute plus song that features some of the band's best music to date. As the song moves in so many different directions and when it the album does finally end, you're left wanting more. That's a good thing. As you will be entertained throughout this epic album.

Rift is a different album to Relic. It may have similar sounds and ideas. However Rift takes you on a more personal and spiritual journey. The production on Rift is simply first rate. With the album sounding fresh and super heavy from the start.

Relic made me a fan of Forming The Void's music. However Rift has made Forming The Void become one of my favourite bands. Rift will be considered as one of the best albums of the year. Simply unmissable

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Forming The Void and Richard at Sheltered Life PR for the promo. Rift will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via KozmikArtifactz from August 18^th 2018.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

An Interview With FORMING THE VOID

Forming The Void released one of our favourite albums in 2017 with Relic. It’s an album that won praise from fans and critics alike. The albums mixture of Psych, Doom, Stoner, Sludge, Grunge and even Ambient style riffs made Forming The Void a name to look out for.

Forming The Void even included perhaps the best cover I’ve ever heard of a Led Zepplin track with Kashmir. I didn’t realise it was actually Kashmir until the classic sounding riffs appeared in the middle of the song.

Forming The Void will be releasing their new album RIFT via Kozmik Artifactz in August 2018.

I caught up with the band to discuss RELIC and what the band have in store for us on RIFT. 

Hi guys. Thanks for doing this interview. How are things with you today.

Doing well! Great to hear from you Steve!

For people not in the know can you give a brief history of how Forming The Void came together and what the current line-up is today.

Me and Shadi were close buds for years before we decided to jam, but it clicked immediately so we started the band. We reached out to Luke and he shot us down for like a year before joining ha-ha. We were friends with Thomas from playing shows with White Light Cemetery for several years before jamming with him. His powerful straight forward style really compliments how we write songs. And the timing made sense for us to team up with him, and it's been nothing but improvements since. He joined 6 weeks before recording Rift and still had a major impact on the sound of the recording.

Did you realise before Relic was released that the album would receive that kind of response. It struck a chord with the global Sludge/Stoner Metal scene and it’s still is today after a year it was originally released.

No, we had no idea how well it would be received. We're still blown away!

Looking back on Relic, would you change anything about it

We've grown a lot in terms of production since we recorded Relic. We've really started to enjoy recording live free time as opposed to one at a time with a click. Would have been cool to do Relic like that.

You released a split EP with Pyreship recently as well. How did that come about. Were you friends with the band before releasing the EP.

We've known Pyreship for a couple years after meeting in an online amplifier forum. We were playing a lot of shows together and they approached us about doing a split. We felt that they were the best band to team up with since we were already pretty close. They actually approached us while recording Rift, so we took a weekend off and went to New Orleans to record it with James Whitten.

Do you prefer releasing split records with other bands or your own albums.

They're both fun in their own way, but I think we enjoy writing albums more since it's more of an all encompassing thing.

The thing I dig most about your music is how it can be quite gloomy one moment and uplifting the next. As Relic was full of different moments where the mood was bleak but still manages to include some uplifting sounds. Does creating that style of sound come naturally to you when writing and recording new music.

Thanks! We definitely go for that variety of feels. The contrast comes along naturally over the writing process.

You have a new album scheduled for release later this year. Can you give provide any details on this album. Such as what people can expect from the album, when it will be released, who by and what formats.

Rift is coming out August 17th via Kozmik Artiftctz on vinyl and CD. We're stoked to be working with Kai, it's been rad so far. The production is a big step forward on this album. It's mixed and mastered by James Plotkin. The music has more feel and a bit more energy.

Will you be touring and promoting the new album heavily.

We're doing a run out to Denver's Electric Funeral Fest later this month, Psycho Las Vegas in August, and a tour around Descendants of Crom later this year.

Any word on European Dates.

We're hoping to make that happen in 2019!

Thanks for doing this interview. Before you go do you have any words of wisdom to say to your fans.

Thanks for reaching out Steve! Always great to hear from you. You and Håkan at Outlaws Of The Sun of some of the coolest people in the scene. I'm not sure if we have anything wise to offer, just some music we hope yall like!

Words by Steve Howe and Forming The Void

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

Forming The Void / Pyreship (EP Review)

Release date: 09^th March 2018. Label: Endhipendit Record Co. Format: DD/Vinyl

Forming The Void/Pyreship – Tracklisting

1.Forming The Void - To the Wolves 06:20

2.Pyreship - Wraith's Tide 09:02

Forming The Void - Members

James Marshall – guitar/vocals

Shadi Omar Al-Khansa- guitar

Luke Baker – bass

Thomas Colley - drums

Pyreship - Members

Sam - Guitar and Vocals

J - Guitar and Vocals

George - Bass

Steve - Drums

Review

Two of my favourite bands that I discovered in 2017 have teamed up for this superb joint release. On one side you have Sludge/Stoner Rockers – Forming The Void and on the other you have Doom/Post-Metallers – Pyreship. Both bands released acclaimed albums in 2017 and I was quite excited to see what the band have in store for this joint record.

Forming The Void’s song lasts more than 6 minutes of Psych Sludge/Stoner grooves but with a more soulful blues vibe compared to the songs on 2017’s Relic. The song still has the familiar hallmarks that made Relic one of the best albums of last year. It’s dramatically heavy with a great vocal performance from James Marshall. James opts for a more grunge style of vocals for this performance. The music is heavy with the rest of the band creating a doomy psychedelic atmosphere. A very good song and shows that Forming The Void are continuing the good work they created with Relic.

Pyreship’s song opens with a dramatic monologue which is the same method they used on their debut album which was released last year. The mood is quite serious and political in places but I wouldn’t have it any other with from Pyreship. The music is very much in the realm of Atmospheric Doom/Sludge Metal with the band taking influence from artists such ISIS (The Band) and Russian Circles to a certain point. The song does take a few moments to fully get going but when it does Pyreship play a heavy cocktail of progressive Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal sounds.

It ‘s good to see that both bands offer different contrasts and styles of music to each other. This record is an essential listen and offers a brief glimpse in how Forming The Void and Pyreship will sound like in the near future. As both bands will be releasing new albums in 2018. Until then enjoy this superb sounding collaboration and play it LOUD AS YOU CAN!!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Forming The Void Links:

Facebook | BandCamp| Twitter

Pyreship Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

Forming The Void - Relic (Album Review)

Release date: March 17th 2017. Label: Argonauta Records (CD) / Black Bow Records (DD). Format: CD/DD

Relic – Tracklisting

1.After Earth

2.The Endless Road

3.Bialozar

4.Relic

5.The Witch

6.Plumes

7.Unto the Smoke

8.Kashmir

Band Members

James Marshall – guitar/vocals,

Shadi Omar Al-Khansa- guitar

Luke Baker – bass,

Jordan Boyd - drums

Review

Don't know if things happen for a reason, or if they just happen. What I mean is, since I write music reviews, what if I had encountered Forming The Void when they released their self-titled debut EP in 2014? Or when their first full-length, 'Skyward', came out a year later, and I hadn't liked either one? That means I most likely would have discarded 'Relic', their brand new sophomore album, immediately. As it happens, I had never heard of the band until 'Relic' and as a consequence, which I am eternally grateful for, yours truly listened as one of this decade's best albums opened up before me.

Exquisite, thought-provoking, challenging, soothing for the soul and extremely sweet on the ears...I could go on and on with superlatives but that would be too easy, right? Maybe not, but man, 'Relic' just takes me away to a place where I feel fantastic. Whether it's in the Neurosis drone and trippiness and shamanistic qualities of My Sleeping Karma in opener 'After Earth'; whether it's the feel of Baroness on speed in 'Biolazar' or the smoked out, mesmerizing, lurching and crawling state of being that is the amazing 'Unto The Smoke'. Who knows. What I do know is that the entity that 'Relic' is is something other-worldly, something unique and much desired.

This is one of those albums where everything counts, where each word, guitar lick, riff, bass line and drum roll fills an important part. To say Forming The Void has set the bar high is obviously an understatement. Still, there are songs that stand out more than the others, not that the unmentioned are bad. Hell no! Like I said earlier, this is one of this decade's best albums which means there's nothing bad on here. Regardless, one of the most complete songs on 'Relic' is 'The Witch'. This composition contains pieces, moods and references to the entire album and to let it end this amazing wax is a stroke of genius. Tying all that this album is into one composition and put in the end gives the perfect closure, if you ask me.

One thing that caught me really off guard, apart from the whole album, is the inclusion of Led Zeppelin's master piece, 'Kashmir'. It took me until the third spin before I truly realized which song it was, even though snippets of the Zepp's kept shining through. What Forming The Void has done here is, in my humble opinion, how you approach a cover. Keep enough of it to recognize the original but at the same time try to make it your own. And that's exactly what these guys have done. This is even further enhanced since it took me so long to figure out what was going on. Don't care if you dislike Led Zeppelin because Forming The Void has created a monster in their own right. So listen, soak it up and go bonkers!

Alright, if more bands listened and learned from this Lafayette, LA-quartet, the music world as we know it would be so much better than it is at the moment. I'm not talking about copying, not at all. I'm talking about doing whatever you want to do. If you apply that mentality to creating music there won't be any limits at all. Forming The Void are the purveyors, the pioneers and the groundbreakers. And take heed, because these guys will one day rule the world!

Words by Håkan Nyman

Thanks to Richard at Sheltered Life PR for the promo. Relic will be available to buy on CD from Argonauta Records and DD from Black Bow Records on March 17^th 2017.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp| Twitter