From their EPK, After a decade of forging their name in the heavy underground, VOID KING continues their cosmic pilgrimage, crafting soundscapes that transcend the boundaries of stoner rock and doom metal. This next chapter in their discography follows up the 2023 release of "The Hidden Hymnal," complementing its themes with a deeply cohesive and immersive listening experience. “This new batch of songs is not a departure for us, but an evolution. The songs are cohesive and share an origin story. Each one of them has its own universe, as well as a symbiotic relationship with the others. We are excited for people to experience this album in its entirety—it should be consumed from start to finish for maximum impact.”

The album has seven songs, and “The Birth of All Things” is first. Bass leads the song, followed by clean vocals, and the background is tinged with elements of Doom and psychedelica. The string on the riff reverberate with each strike, and at times, the vocals are just a bit out of key. It becomes gentler after the halfway mark with clean guitar tones. “A Union of Expired Souls” begins with thick bass guitar notes once again, and the BLACK SABBATH influence here is strong. The power that comes from the weighted riff is like bolts of lightning during a thunderstorm. Harsh vocals then emerge…as guttural as ever. “Prologue” is a short two-minutes of low and slow heavy bass notes, drums, and a fuzzy riff.

“Attrition” is a little longer, as well as more energetic, lead by the drumming of Derek, and the heavy bass work of Chris. The riff is simple, but oh so effective at dishing out punishment. It takes a bit of a sunny diversion approaching the halfway mark, but again, the vocals and the sound isn’t in complete union at times. “Convalescence” is a faster moving song with a riff that crushes everything in its path. It pulverized stone, earth, and even metal. It ducks into the shadows a bit from there. “Expiration” has a heavy combination of clean and harsh vocals, that echo early ALICE IN CHAINS. The weight seems to grow as the song moves as well. The short “Epilogue” closes the album; a one-minute offering of heavy bass notes and drums.

Let’s start with the positives…the bass work is excellent, and when it takes center stage, it can lead with the best of them. The music was OK…nothing overly new or creative here. The vocals at times failed to connect with some of the music, creating what I am assuming is an unintentional dissonance. Overall, just a mediocre album for me.