The Void's Last Stand: A Sun By Rising Set

Now I have to admit as to liking some challenging music and what is served up by The Void's Last Stand, who have just been signed to Long Hair Music, is undeniably challenging. Imagine if you will taking aspects of almost every song you have ever heard and trying to squeeze every single one of them into two tracks that run at about the twenty five minute mark.

Whether it's psychedelic strumming in the vein of early Floyd, bizarre almost Gregorian chanting that is reminiscent of Paul McCartney's frog chorus, if the frogs were being hit with hammers, and then add in elements of jazz, funk, or prog rock. Throw in a bit of operatic screaming, mix in an almost minute long drum solo and top off with some wild guitar flurries where every note is met by a drum beat and well you are about one tenth of the way to describing what opening track "Mother Sun And The Other Son (Part 1)" sounds like!

Themes and ideas pass by in the blink of an eye and are seldom revisited in any shape or form, which results in the songs being extremely disjointed and exhausting.

All four musicians involved are extremely adept at their chosen instrument and in fairness lesser talented performers wouldn't be able to master the ridiculously complex passages.

In fairness track two, "Under The Ardent Sun" is slightly less frenetic and does retain a central identity for large parts of it's 25 minutes. Vocally Jonas Wingens sings in a register far kinder on his voice. However it does meander aimlessly for large sections and the almost Eddie Van Halen finger tapping as the track draws to a conclusion, whilst impressive is an unwelcome gate crasher.

There is undoubted talent on show right across this album, however until The Void's Last Stand can reign their vision back into a more listenable sound, then they are destined to confuse and baffle, which was maybe their goal at the outset.

Track Listing
1. Mother Sun And The Other Son (Part 1)
2. Under The Ardent Sun

Added: December 7th 2009
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band's Web Site
Hits: 2163
Language: english

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