DESOLATEVOID, THE LAST VAN ZANT (featuring members of BIRDS OF PREY), and THE PARISH (featuring a member of WARTORN), courtesy of Crimes Against Humanity Records. Released on April 6th of this year, the disc features three great bands and three bone shattering brands of bludgeoning metal crossed with elements of crust punk and sludge/stoner/southern bits, all of which fit together smashingly well as one cohesive assault on the senses. On top all of that, CAH Records is selling it for a measly $7.99 (including a logo patch from each band)! Please get in touch at clawhammerpr@gmail.com to let us know about upcoming reviews and airplay, as well as interview requests.
DESOLATEVOID bassist and Crimes Against Humanity Records owner Nick Carroll offers his comments on the split release.
The best way to say it is that this split delivers a spectrum of sounds, yet stays coherent with an overarching theme of brutality. Let me break it down. DESOLATEVOID once again establish their particularly nuanced brand of metal. Each track gives you a different accent on a different vein of their influence. One track will hit with a foot stompin’ rock ‘n rollin’ Sabbath groove, while the next blasts with you breakneck down-tuned punk riffs. Now imagine that as these two sounds smash together and become one that bad guy from Highlander kicks down your door and belts out vocals ranging from grindcore screeches to death metal gutturals. One of the subtle talents of this band is their ability to take these influences and meld them into five ripping tracks.
Of all the bands I’ve been listening to lately, THE LAST VAN ZANT is one of the hardest to describe. They’re too punk/hardcore to be metal, but way too metal to be classified as punk/hardcore. If you remember Asschapel, think of a slightly less technical and somewhat more logical version of Fire and Destruction (that’s not a knock on Asschapel by the way; they rule). Ripe with meaty fist-pumping riff progressions and driving beats, there are melodic, under-the-radar bells and whistles that give these tracks an eerie vibe. Stir in some abrasive, yet intelligible vocals and you’ll have an idea of the sweet ride you’re in for.
As for THE PARISH, just give up on whatever band you’re working on or planning to start because you don’t stand a chance. Following with the brutal metal sounds that have been on the rise in the crust and stoner metal scene, THE PARISH nails it. Once again, you’ll hear some Sabbath, but THE PARISH is chock full of riffs and vocals akin to Stormcrow, Buried at Sea, and Bolt Thrower. Still, they separate themselves with grooving clean parts, particularly “Dark Days” (stretching it to almost 10 minutes). Lastly, you’re pretty much guaranteed to have the riff from “Suffer” stuck in your head all day. All in all, what I’m getting at is that you need to buy this record.
One of the underground’s best kept secrets (and that changes starting now), visit to shop for loads of stellar crust punk, d-beat, and ripping metal CDs, cassettes, vinyl and related items at amazingly low prices. The CAH releases across the board are outstanding and the distro is jam packed with more killer merchandise than you can shake a bloody stick at! Trust us; we know what we’re talking about!www.cahrecords.com
For information on all three bands, contact ClawHammer PR or visit:
www.myspace.com/desolatevoidrocks
