Hailing from Ramona, California, VoidCeremony aren’t exactly newcomers to the realm of death metal. The band was formed in 2013 by vocalist and guitarist, Garrett Johnson and guitarist, Jon Reider. For seven years VoidCeremony remained within the depths of the USA underground metal scene, before being noticed with their three EPs, released between the years 2014 and 2018. Two years later, they decided to leave their former label, Blood Harvest, to be signed by 20 Buck Spin.  Gradually however, the quartet evolved from the basic form of their hybrid style as they integrated the progression of technical death metal and various aspects of jazz fusion. Now 20 Buck Spin has set June 26 as an official release date for their highly anticipated debut album titled ‘Entropic Reflections Continuum: Dimensional Unravel’. From the bizarre and uncanny album cover VoidCeremony gives us an exotic perspective of what to expect from their latest craft. But first, let’s get into the respective lineup of this peculiar band before we delve further into the contents of the album.

As mentioned above, VoidCeremony was assembled by the founding members Garrett Johnson ( ex-Archaic Mortuary), guitarist Jon Reider (Ascended Dead, ex-Decay, ex-Invocation War), I. Mann on bass guitar (Conjureth, ex-Ghoulgotha) and C.Koryn on drums (Ascended Dead, Incantation, Funebrarum, Bloodsoaked). From the opening track, ‘Desiccates Whispers‘ VoidCeremony demonstrates their proficiency as they infuse the technicality of old school death metal. What is so striking about this outfit, is their mastery in creating a gripping experience. The effect of the whirring bass guitar will remind many of bands such as Cynic.

The growls have that sense of old school death, while the increase of the tempo is measured by the grinding percussion that varies from mid-tempo to blast beats. The album encompasses the progressive and the extreme elements of technical death metal. The guitars are highly complex, dynamic and simultaneously heavy, but to a certain extent they build a sense of progression. The U.S. quartet has delivered a visceral experience to the fans of old school death metal. The bass guitar is quite exceptional as it vibrates flawlessly amid the swirling riffs and the layers of solos, On the whole VoidCeremony wields a complex craft. Therefore, the debut oscillates between old school death metal and the modern paradigms of death metal. ‘Sacrosanct Delusions‘ begins with visceral brutality where the drums execute straightforward blast beats.

C. Koryn’s performance is impressive behind the drums kit. He possesses the technical skills to add diversity, although his technique is brought by complexity. The debut effort projects its old school death metal tendencies without any flaws. The grunts and the growls are often uttered in deep pitches as they provide depth to the songs while much of the intensity is mastered by the guitar department. The riff craft and the solos add a dynamic sense to the songs. The transition between complex drumming and blast beats keeps things intense. Over the thirty minutes of its duration, VoidCeremony has competently dazzled me with their unique and professional talent. The third track ‘Empty, Grand Majesty (Cyclical Descent of Causality)’ bursts into the effectiveness of the fabulous bass guitar.

Aside from the chord progressions and technical solos the band presents many fresh ideas that are quite relevant to the context of old school tech death metal. VoidCeremony goes even further by expanding the song composition with much complexity. Their technicality mostly weaves outstanding alchemy between the instruments. There are moments when the band showcases their musical efficiency. The songs are well structured and powerful when it comes to the guitars. The riffs have a crunchy and aggressive tone. VoidCeremony also has their own unique style of creating melodies. Another track,’Binded to Unusual Existence‘, is extremely fast and technical. The drums on this track shift to full on grinding blast beats. The debut is formed by many complex layers. The song structure and the riffs are measured by the parameters of old school technical death metal.

‘Abandoned Reality’ resembles the classic effigies of the 90s death metal such as Suffocation, Atheist, and Polluted Inheritance. Set on the boundaries of brutality and technical death metal, this track is full of shredding guitar solos, orchestrated melodies and massive guitar riffs. The final track, ‘Solemn Reflections of the Void’, is focused on the complexity of the instruments. VoidCeremony has released a mind-bending album. This is one of my favorite death metal albums of the year. Highly recommended for fans of old Suffocation, Pavor, and Polluted Inheritance. 

Release Date: June 26th, 2020
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Track list:

1. Desiccated Whispers
2. Sacrosanct Delusions
3. Empty, Grand Majesty (Cyclical Descent of Causality)
4. Binded To Unusual Existence
5. Abandoned Reality
6. Solemn Reflections of the Void