Voidmilker – Labyrinthical Review

Let me just address the elephant in the room: Voidmilker? Sure, metal’s got lots of voids – don’t even get me started. However, milk is far from the most metal liquid, unless you thought Milking the Goatmachine was the most kvlt thing since Mayhem took a shit on the ashes of an unsuspecting Norwegian church. And kvlt Voidmilker is, because black metal is the name of the game, strapping into the rotted voidteat of the voidboob for some voidmilk of the best voidvariety for your voidinfant. Is voidpasteurization a thing? I don’t know, but I’m getting uncomfortable.¹ To the original point, suck deep, because we’re going to the void, bitches.²

Me and Voidmilker got beef. Well, not really, but the mastermind behind the Chilean act is Gabriel Hugo – the man, the myth, the legend behind Lascar – my very first review of n00bdom.³ If you’re old enough or too old, you might recall the post-black trainwreck that basically copied and pasted bland and pretty post-rock a la Mono atop milquetoast blackened sensibilities. Blessedly, Voidmilker abandons this template for something refreshingly straightforward and undeniably second-wave, replacing convoluted Deafheaven-inspired lushness with a good ol’ fashioned Transilvanian Hunger blend of void-conjuring frost and biting discordance. While far from unique and featuring some questionable mixing issues, Labyrinthical is a solid outing from an act pumping the second-wave like yer voidmom.

Right off the bat, “Decades” opens things up with exactly what you expect: a hauntingly minor atmosphere accomplished through a razor-thin tremolo, distant drumbeats, and vicious vocals. Its emphasis is void evocation – lactation, if you will –⁴ which is hardly unique, but Voidmilker does a good job with its relatively minimalist arsenal. While “A Pregnant Cult” and “Birth of Trepidation” do a good job balancing haunting chord progressions with blazing tremolo, stirring blastbeats, and a sprinkle of heartfelt melody, “Abomination of Desolation” and “Bronze Child” embrace a heavier death metal influence, suddenly dense and thick riffs interspersed amid the paper-thin shred. Labyrinthical is very simply composed and effectively written because it doesn’t try to be more than it is, and its nearly raw black vibe is refreshing in its simplicity. Centerpiece “Collapsing” is perhaps the best track, accomplishing the same kvlt evocation with thicker riffs and more down-tuned plucking that inject abject despair.

While the simplicity is refreshing and appealing throughout Voidmilker’s reasonable thirty-five-minute runtime, the rough mix can derail a solid if unspectacular black metal performance. While “Abomination of Desolation” embraces the weight and “A Pregnant Cult” features guitars thin enough for paper cuts, the transitions between the two palettes can be off-putting and jarring. “Birth of Trepidation” and “Cosmic Summon” feature pummel and shred alongside in potentially awkward conjunction, “Bronze Child” offers megaton chugs that feel like they lead up to another level of weight only to abruptly shift back into flimsy tremolo once again, robbing effectiveness from the latter. Every other issue with Voidmilker is a matter of taste. Hugo’s formidable vocals are front-and-center in the mix, drowning out music at inopportune moments, and ultimately Labyrinthical offers nothing new to a crowded style dominated by Mayhem and Darkthrone acolytes.

On one hand, Labyrinthical feels like redemption for me, proving that Lascar’s frailty does not show Hugo’s incompetence. Voidmilker offers a solid debut that channels the best – and granted, most tired – of classic second-wave black metal in its balance of shred and atmosphere. While its moniker is something I will ponder, uh, dairy, the sound is definitely worthy of a few spins. With only a few mixing issues keeping Voidmilker from true success, I look forward to Hugo’s next outing with great expectations.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Tragedy Productions
Website: voidmilker.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: July 7th, 2023