Void Of Silence - The Grave Of Civilization review
| Band: | Void Of Silence |
| Album: | The Grave Of Civilization |
| Style: | Doom metal |
| Release date: | June 21, 2010 |
| A review by: | KwonVerge |
01. Prelude To The Death Of Hope
02. The Grave Of Civilisation
03. Apt Epitaph
04. Temple Of Stagnation (D.F.M.I. MMX)
05. None Shall Mourn
06. Empty Echo
"There can be no return from this, I envy the dead."
The italian doom metal act Void Of Silence hail once again with a new effort, The Grave Of Civilization. A few years have passed since the monumental Human Antithesis saw the light of day and their fourth full-length was more than welcome after all this time, being the sound sequel of its predecessor one could say. Alan Nemtheanga is no longer behind the microphone and this role was given to Brooke Johnson and to tell the truth, he succeeds both in terms of interpretation and feeling.
The overall music is a soundtrack to ruin, tending to evoke an industrial pro-apocalyptic scenery filled with despair, fear, woe and an omnipresent menacing essence. The white figure with the dark shade under sun's stare in front of a colossal monument on the cover artwork says it all, along with the title and the aforementioned atmosphere. Apart from the ominous aesthetic that floats here and there distorting your mind in the most appropriate way, you'll always find a glimpse of devoutness inside these dreary musical halls, euphoria before utter end? Probably, but still, you keep on listening, lurking deeper and deeper and the more you proceed the darker it gets; the clearer the sight in front of your weary yet still naked eyes.
The guitar work is as it should, weeping riffs and desolate chords begin the structure whereas the utterly bombastic or just accompanying rhythm section hold it tight, until it shatters to pieces along with your thoughts at the very end of the album. The everflowing keyboard melodies caress you in such a manner as if time could stand still for a moment in eternity and see humanity's course from beginning to end, the so called civilization of vulgar experimentation of one upon another, presenting various soundscapes, bitter, desperate, devout, ominous, even oriental and with this enriching and strengthening the overall scenery. Brooke Johnson's heart-rending interpretation resembles to Nemtheanga's on Human Antithesis, but still, you don't give a piece of spit, you lose yourself in undorned by hope and light pits of knowledge with Brooke being the prophet of elegant disharmony.
Six compositions, about an hour from your precious time, but the "repeat" button doesn't lie, there will be more hours ahead, from your precious time, until The Grave Of Civilization.
"My voice has become a distant echo in an empty world,
conversant with the ghost of dead memories.
Truth be told, I like the solitude, now that I am alone."
At least then, you can harm nobody. Except for yourself.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 10 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 9 |
 | Written on 18.09.2010 by "It is myself I have never met, whose face is pasted on the underside of my mind." |
Comments
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Comments: 36
Visited by: 226 users
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068  |
Written by [user id=4365] on 18.09.2010 at 18:56 Thanks 
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Great album this is. imo it surpasses Human Antithesis.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Jason W. Razorbliss Staff Posts: 3523  |
The preview samples sound like a sure thing, very ominous indeed, and I can hear part of some great solos in there 
---- "After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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| Daggon Underpaid M.D. Posts: 1689  |
This seems quite interesting, I'll be sure to check it out as soon as possible  Dude, you should keep on writing reviews 
---- "Les vers savent qu'ils n'ont pas d'ailes, c'est pour cela qu'ils se cachent sous terre"
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702  |
Too long, pompous, overblown and, to be honest, this apocalyptic theme is getting tiring, in my opinion... the grave of civilization... how original! New singer far too whiny... HA was miles better. I suspect Marcel's equation Italians + Metal = bad is correct this time 'round...
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Merchant of Doom on 19.09.2010 at 10:26 Nope here the equation is wrong.  This is a great album imo, better than Human Antithesis. Who is HA? Or do you somehow mean Alan Averill a.k.a. Naihmass Nemtheanga
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 19.09.2010 at 12:06 Human Antithesis...
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Merchant of Doom on 19.09.2010 at 12:29 Okay, it's still early for me. I should have known you meant the album title and NOT the vocalist 
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Elyar S. Gud är Död Posts: 323  |
Oh this is Italian Merchant of Doom is right Marcel , Im listening to to it right now, I was listened to their ex works but I dont remember how was their works but this one kicks ass.
---- Kiss my ass if you dont like me, I dont care.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Elyar S. on 19.09.2010 at 12:43 I know it is Italian but this is one of the exceptions to the rule about Italian metal. This one is good whereas usually Italian metal/doom is bad.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Elyar S. Gud är Död Posts: 323 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 19.09.2010 at 12:57 maybe, but at least as I remember we have the same opinions about Italian football! lol maybe for you their metal is like their football just borrring
---- Kiss my ass if you dont like me, I dont care.
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 19.09.2010 at 12:57 come on, there are lots of good Italian bands... Forgotten Tomb, Arcana Coelestia, Urna, Ufomammut, How Like A Winter, Consummatum Est, The Foreshadowing, Thunderstorm. Novembre (doomish), Void Of Silence (:P), Doomsword... are they all bad?
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Merchant of Doom on 19.09.2010 at 13:11 Forgotten Tomb used to be good. AC = good, Urna I still have to check. Ufomammut is good, How Like A Winter I hate, Thunderstorm is crap, Novembre is crap, Doomsword is crap, the Foreshadowing is crap, Consummatum I still have to check. Void Of Silence is good. Doomraiser is okay btw. The problem with Italians and metal (not just doom) is that they make it sound so incredibly cheesy. Even though I like VoS it is still quite cheesy.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 19.09.2010 at 13:27 
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
Written by Merchant of Doom on 19.09.2010 at 13:31 
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702 |
Written by KwonVerge on 19.09.2010 at 14:11 hey, DerRozzengarten, I wasn't shooting at you... mind your own business...
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
I put Marcel's krieg face to scare you
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by KwonVerge on 19.09.2010 at 14:50 My beergut is more krieg than my face
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702 |
Written by KwonVerge on 19.09.2010 at 14:50 maybe if you put Marcel's real face...
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| lord artan Posts: 297  |
This album is very conceptual poetry and They have tried modern human problems as well as display...In terms of the music were acceptable Although the singer will be changed each year group but Quality group is not reduced
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| Elyar S. Gud är Död Posts: 323 |
Good album name, a better cover art and excellent music. Vocals are as well too, I think it will be in the first top 10 albums of MS doom metal awards this year.
---- Kiss my ass if you dont like me, I dont care.
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
Written by Elyar S. on 28.09.2010 at 01:46 I hope that too 
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| Elyar S. Gud är Död Posts: 323 |
Ok ppl dont laugh at me but when I listen to this album in some part of it vocals reminds me Robert Smith 
---- Kiss my ass if you dont like me, I dont care.
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
Written by Elyar S. on 28.09.2010 at 02:09 Probably from Pornography?
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| Elyar S. Gud är Död Posts: 323 |
Written by KwonVerge on 28.09.2010 at 02:13 I dont mean an special album. Just an special song maybe! "None Shall Mourn" my favorite song in this album. I said its just my feeling
---- Kiss my ass if you dont like me, I dont care.
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
Written by Elyar S. on 28.09.2010 at 02:15 I will give it a shot tomorrow to check my ears on that, my mind is like an air balloon at the moment and soon i should be going to sleep or something 
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| Jason W. Razorbliss Staff Posts: 3523 |
Thanks again for this review Rozz, I may have missed this album for quite some time. I received it in the mail a few days back, and the review echoes my thoughts exactly. And, "Apt Epitaph" is just beautifully vacant. The artwork reflects the music seemlessly, as well as my own perspective on life lately Not so many 9s or 10s this year from me, but this has made it to the list
---- "After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
Written by Jason W. on 30.09.2010 at 19:22 You're very welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it that much! Yeah, the artwork reflects my point of view somehow as well i'm still searching for my ten for this year
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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