In 2022 the Washington state, U.S. dissonantists Voidthrone have cleared all doubt. Just in case anyone was thinking that they were a flash in the pan, they have returned with their third album called Metaphysical Degradation. This whole troubadour enterprise arose in 2016 with Spiritual War Tactics, which was as entertaining as it was a clusterfrazzle of extremity and twisted zigzags. The second answer arrived in 2018 in the form of Kur. So here we are again trying to piece together the puzzle. Thankfully, some-one in this band has the horse sense to maintain the aural dysphoria in check. This is not a free-for-all. This is not a place for that jazz-from-area-51. There is a limit to how far this is taken. That limit would be right around the border of Immolation, but not the territory of Frank-Zappa-Swing-Diablo-Orchestra-Mr.-Bungle-Sleepy-Time-Gorilla-Museum-Clown-Clore.
Verdict: Expect plenty of headbanging black metal music throughout the recording, and then expect some sideways energies through winding, meandering, irritating guitar sounds to make their presence felt in a consistent way across the album. This combination is not equal, I would say. I would say that the extreme metal predominates while allowing room for the dissonance to coexist. Look it, at some point, this band may come to fist fights amongst the members as they figure out just how weird things will get in the future. Maybe by the time they get to the sixth album I will not be riding along because things may have gotten too experimentalist for my taste. So far, the band is doing a good job of keeping things interesting and challenging for themselves and the listeners, and I appreciate that. Once they get into Clown Core territory, that’s when I will be out.
If I can bang my head to it, then I am in. So far, I am in. Good news: You still do not need a calculator to enjoy the music of Voidthrone, but it is necessary to focus a bit.
Metaphysical Degradation
by Voidthrone
https://www.facebook.com/voidthrone/
