Artist: Void of Hope
Country: Finland
Label: Avantgarde Music
Formats: LP / CD
Year: 2025
A band with members of Moonlight Sorcery and Ondfødt, Avantgarde Music sure knows how to grab my attention. Void of Hope is a new entity that was born during a recording session and in five days in pitchdark and bonechilling conditions recorded their debut, ‘Proof of Existence’. But expect nothing of the highflying guitar-wizardy filled symphonic Black Metal of Moonlight Sorcery or the chunky blistering sound of Ondfødt. No, Void of Hope is a much bleaker beast altogether.
Indeed, for their debut output ‘Proof of Existence’, the band found themselves inspired by the likes of Silencer, Gris, Lifelover, Coldworld and Austere. While the music is not as desolate and bleak as the utter lows of Silencer’s ‘Death, Pierce Me’ and it only scratches the more groove-laden surface of Lifelover, the influence of most of these acts can certainly be heard back in the six tracks that encompass the debut. Imagine a mix of Silencer with the somewhat more open atmosphere and keyboard accents of ColdWorld, a dash of Shining and all topped of with vocals that are somewhere between those of Silencer and Gris, and you get an idea of what Void of Hope represents.
There is a certain level of despair in the twisting riffs, but the keyboard accents take away the most depressive edges. Opener ‘Gift of Life’ sets the tone is a rather monotonous midtempo, but also shows some welcome changes in tempo. The following ‘Proof of Existence’ has the clearest Shining vibe in its groovy riffs, but once the pace is increased and the synthesizers join, the song adopts a flair of 90’s symphonic Black Metal. ‘The Hollow Hymn’ starts off more in the vein of Austere before the plot twists in the direction of Silencer, only to return to a more atmospheric manner. After the desolate-sounding intermezzo ‘Inner Peace’, album highlight ‘T.E.T.L.’ is a more twisted track that is closest to the vein of Silencer with a thick bass sound, menacing pace and contrasting and glorifying keys. Closing track ‘Decaying Years’ then takes the pace down to an extent where parallels with Doom Metal are not out of the question, sounding at times like a band such as Draconian.
While not nearly as extreme, depressive and compelling as the Silencer masterpiece ‘Death, Pierce Me’, progressively bleak as Gris, or as open as ColdWorld or Austere, ‘Proof of Existence’ is an excellent first attempt at a more bleak and atmospheric form of Black Metal. It may not sound much like Moonlight Sorcery or Ondfødt in terms of style, but Void of Hope is another showcase of the talent of these musicians. Certainly recommended if you like your Black Metal a little bit more bleak.
