War of Ages – Void – Release date 09/13/2019 on Facedown Records.
Let me start off by saying I generally avoid singles. If a band I listen to promises a new album, I often wait until I can hear it, in its final presentation. And let me tell you, Void was worth the wait. Of course I did hear Sulphur and Salt when it was released but after that, I simply waited
for this moment. I was eager with anticipation to hear War of Ages’ follow-up to Alpha.
Alpha rocked my world. And Void has definitely continued to do so! This line-up of War of Ages certainly “did it again”. Void was produced, engineered, and mixed in the land of my youth at Sicktones Studio by Jack Daniels. It features Leroy Hamp on Vocals, Kaleb Luebchow on Drums, Elisha Mullins on Bass/Vocals, Jack Daniels and Steve Brown on Guitars.
Let’s take a look at some of the songs.
The Watchers – A brilliant build up to what promises to be an exciting album.
The Void – A heavy hitting tune, sure to become a War of Ages standard for years to come.
Blood of the Earth – One of the most surprising songs on the album. It really breaks the mold in terms of union of symphonic, extreme, melodic, with a good helping of some solid crunch.
Miles Apart – An absolute driving song. This one showcases the greatness of War of Ages and shows why this band of veterans dominates the metalcore scene.
Sulphur and Salt – This is the song that began all of the anticipation. It’s just so heavy. When you hear, “when you pass through the waters, I will be with you”, something in your spirit just confirms the message and resonates within you to your very core.
Greed – From the opening riff and alternating drum part, you know this one is going to shred before it even fully takes off. I’m not sure if this one will be part of the live set, but if so, expect headbanging during the chorus and circle pits during all of the other parts!
Envy – The song envy takes the listener down a slightly different path. While definitely heavy and hardly “slow”, it’s got a somberness about it that invokes moods of contemplation in the listener, making Void quite the unique album in the War of Ages discography.
Wrath – Wrath is another song, that if played live, expect the venue to look a lot different afterwards. It is typical War of Ages (and I mean that in a GOOD way) in that you know you’re listening to metal of the highest caliber.
Jezebel – Another song full of surprises. It’s a heavy hitting song that chugs along in an anthemic way. Vocally it mixes things up compared to the rest of the album. Possibly the most spoken/clean approach to vocals, I’ve heard in any War of Ages tune.
Brotherhood – Perfectly named! The song evokes union and preaches right from Proverbs 27 as the Glory of the One whose image we bear is boldly proclaimed.
The Return – A blistering track called, The Return, closes out Void. Extreme, heavy, and just awesome; this song includes all the things that make War of Ages great and tells you to hit the “repeat” button to listen to it all again!
Void is the perfect follow-up to Alpha. The day after Void is released, War of Ages will be playing Uprise Fest in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, as well as future performances in Europe at Loud and Proud and at Nordic Fest.
Void by War of Ages is a solid 9.5 in my book. If you haven’t already pre-ordered a copy, make sure you pick it up as soon as it is available.
JR Rife for The Metal Onslaught