The French duo of label Great Dane Records and Death Metal band Beyond the Void have joined forces to unleash a CD release of debut album ‘The Machinist’.

‘The Machinist’ is a melding of Old School Death Metal influence with a sharper, more modern style in keeping with the album’s name. Second track ‘Beyond the Void’ demonstrates the bands love of classic Death Metal with some crushing riffage but fuse this with a more mechanical, technical sound from the guitars, whilst tracks such as ‘From the Sky’ showcase a more bass lead heavy style that also focuses more on the bands powerful Old School drumming style and aggressive growled vocals.

My own personal taste when it comes to Death Metal definitely swings way over to the classic side of the spectrum, and so I am glad that Beyond the Void’s sound also steers in that direction for the most part. Tracks such as ‘Hymns of Annihilation’ for example certainly cater for my tastes and sound like a battering ram of unsophisticated aggressive with some groove drenched tones thrown in for good measure.

‘The Machinist’ is a more than competent debut album that whilst it doesn’t quite excite me, is still a very sturdy sounding and powerful offering. The band’s delicate balance between the old school and the new school of Death Metal, as well as their bouts of outright brutality, will certainly win them more than a few fans.

(7/10 Marksson)

https://www.facebook.com/beyondthevoidmetal

https://greatdanerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-machinist