Since releasing their debut LP ‘Ruins’ in 2016, Vermont duo Body Void have been unstoppable, with three full lengths, an EP and a split with Keeper now under their belts, they’ve won over crowds at Roadburn and are now making their first appearance signed to the roster of Prosthetic Records. Willow and Edward are the ideal embodiment of modern doom – they extract all of the crushing misery of the genre, leaving behind the shitty sounding fuzz pedals and tired, old rehashed riffs. The end result is staggering, one of absolute desolation and latest album ‘Bury Me Beneath This Rotting Earth’ is definitely not an exception to the rule.
Before the music is addressed, a notable appreciation must be given to the imagery conjured within the thoughtfully curated lyrics of each of the four tracks ‘Wound’ and ‘Forest Fire’ explore the damage that the scourge of humanity has had upon the planet, while ‘Fawn’ and ‘Pale Man’ act as critiques to the social and cultural imbalance and prejudice currently being felt by minorities the world over. The topics being laid bare to the listener are just as devastating as the tumultuous music accompanying them. The thunderous roll of the drums alongside the slow and sinister drag of the guitars conjures images of a huge beast lurching forwards, slowly stalking its prey. It’s an unsettling listen and made all the more captivating by Willow’s harrowing shrieks – an apt, yet terrifying narration of the ugliness that’s unfurling.
The latter half of ‘Pale Man’ picks up the pace, veering into almost punk sounding territory – a suitable tempo to convey the justifiable anger directed towards the issue it’s addressing and a satisfying end to a genuinely fierce listen. If you like you doom metal drawn out, punishing and dripping with vitriol then there are few who do it better than Body Void.
(9/10 Angela Davey)
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