It’s not uncommon to see former or current members of extreme metal bands trickle down to more simplistic avenues. In their heart of hearts, they probably prefer to play metal that doesn’t require regular monthly check-ups for carpal tunnel syndrome, you know? Throw in the “fun” factor and it’s not too difficult to whip up a band like Finnish doom mongers Church of Void, who feature former members of black metallers Horna and epic metallers Battlelore in their ranks. Therefore, their Dead Rising debut is as the band describes as “new wave of classic doom metal.” Fascinating!
Notated as the standard cross between Sabbath and St. Vitus, Church of Void have more Pentagram in them than anyone, actually. While there’s no goofy vocals ala Bobby Leibling, their crisp, vintage riffing on “Son of a Witch” and “Owls Are Listening” are good enough make the stoned-out crowd get up off the couch. “Entity of Kalypso” in particular is a number to latch onto, with a familiar lurch ala Nightfall-era Candlemass, tied together with a cascading, dreary melody in the chorus.
Vocalist Magus Corvus should get some nods too, coming across like a less-polished Tomi Joutsen of Amorphis. This is quite the coup for Church of Void, and it gives their songs (and Dead Rising as a whole) a far wider palpability than initially suggested. So, for something that might have been conceived as means to toss around some old Volume 4 riffs, Church of Void are the real deal. They’re Finnish, after all.