CoC : Void of Silence - Criteria ov 666 : Review

Void of Silence - _Criteria ov 666_
(Code666, 2002)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8.5 out of 10)

Variety is usually seen as a good thing in most genres; but in doom metal, I would much rather have consistency than a wide spectrum of feelings in the music. Void of Silence fortunately belong to the more consistent side of doom metal, and _Criteria ov 666_ profits immensely from that. This isn't to say that the music itself is monotonous and repetitive: there is certainly enough variety in the musical approach to communicating their feelings to keep the listener interested, but it is -what- they try to express that remains very much a constant throughout (with one possible exception towards the end). As indicated by the mood-setting artwork, the music of VoS is very much in the Evoken and Unholy league of bleakness and miserability. There is, however, considerable difference in their musical approach: instead of doom/death, they mix a backdrop of apocalyptic atmospheric elements with a varying combination of doom metal with blackened shrieks (courtesy of Aborym's Malfeitor Fabban), sombre chants and various other samples and elements. Amidst all the bleakness, VoS occasionally throw in some nicely crafted and appropriate melodies or frail vocals, masking things in a sound that doesn't come across as obvious and simplistic. Musically quite interesting, yet consistently negative and apocalyptic, with _Criteria ov 666_ Void of Silence have created one of the stand-out doom metal albums of recent years.

Contact: http://www.code666.net

(article published 3/7/2002)

ALBUMS
29/11/2004	P Azevedo	8.5	Void of Silence - Human Antithesis