BEHOLD THE VOID
MATT MILLS
Disintegration SELF-RELEASED
Russian deathcore newcomers claw their way out of convention
Deathcore is bound by very tight rules. It’s a realm where incessant breakdowns are paramount, and blastbeats, ceaseless death growls and whirring guitars are similarly essential. Behold The Void are one of the fleeting few to actually guide their genre to new territories, throwing their hat into the ring all the way from Moscow. Disintegration is the four-piece’s debut album, and it proves them to be an instant diamond in the rough, mixing the standard ’core archetypes with intriguing doom metal hallmarks. Although heavy, it’s just as ominous as it is outright brutal, crawling along with purposeful percussion and slowly grinding guitars. BTV’s understanding of melody also far exceeds their peers’, as felt in the twisted dance of the instrumental Agonia. Finally, deathcore actually feels exciting once more.