Void Of Silence first reviews

[Michele/Xyphias]

www.metallus.it

L’Antitesi Umana: la colonna sonora ideale di sorde preghiere scalfitte nel cielo e di sogni spezzati lasciati ad annegare nel nulla.
Un gorgo sonoro malsano e seducente in cui confluiscono l’opprimenza del doom, eteree partiture ambient e occasionali riflussi black metal: la terza fatica dei Void Of Silence stupisce ancora una volta per la capacità di concretizzare il tutto in un’opera dal rigore formale e compositivo inattaccabile. Esemplare in questo senso la magniloquenza della title-track, suite di oltre venti minuti divisa in tre momenti, che diventa teatro per il nuovo e determinante valore aggiunto della band: l’innesto infatti di Alan Nemtheanga, già nei Primordial, dona nuova linfa ed offre nuove possibilità precedentemente inesplorate, dividendosi tra momenti recitativi, screams ed un pulito sofferente, dove non è improbabile cogliere sullo sfondo alcuni richiami ai My Dying Bride (‘To A Sickly Child’).
Ma risulta comunque compito improbo sezionare un lavoro concepito per essere apprezzato nella sua interezza e fondamentalmente inscindibile, per quanto sia indubbiamente doverosa una menzione all’agghiacciante rilettura, ai limiti del folk apocalittico, del “Rinnegamento Di San Pietro” (tratto dai "Fiori Del Male” di Baudelaire), che vede la convincente partecipazione di Atratus dei Tronus Abyss alla voce.
Un risultato austero e marziale ma al tempo stesso perversamente sacrale, ‘Human Antithesis’ saprà conquistarvi oppure allontanarvi del tutto: ma in ogni caso non vi lascerà indifferenti.

8/10

Roberto Lato
​

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

http://www.vs-webzine.com

VOID OF SILENCE - Human Antithesis (Code666/Season Of Mist) - 09/06/2004 @ 16h11
« This is where the dream ends? ».
Void of Silence touchent le fond, mais c?est pour la bonne cause. Remis non sans séquelles de la thérapie par les phobies majuscules administrée sur leur précédente ?uvre « Criteria ov 666 », nous voilà déjà conviés à partir à la rencontre de nouveaux démons sous le joug de ces tortionnaires de l?accord bien rasé, jamais à court d?ustensiles persuasifs pour graver dans nos chairs leur interprétation acide du doom apocalyptique.
Fidèles aux recettes quatre étoiles qu?ils se sont prescrites depuis leurs débuts, nos fossoyeurs italiens mettent un point d?honneur à condamner toutes les trouées de lumière qui pourraient contaminer leur mémorial de douleur ambré de sulfure latent. Combien de groupes revendiquent le dernier degré de la sinistrose et restent fastidieux, tout au plus peu crédibles ? Void of Silence, eux, accostent les rivages de la perdition avec une facilité qui relève presque de l?insolence. Une facilité, oui, car en plus on a la preuve qu?il n?est nullement nécessaire d?en faire des tonnes pour vous mettre un moral à zéro. Avec un usage abondant mais très sélectif du sample et de la réverbération puissance delta à tous les étages, les conditions cadres sont réunies pour une symbiose charismatique d?éléments aussi complémentaires (pas forcément évident sur le papier) que de grosses guitares polies au cactus, une batterie stomacale qui a le mot « doom » tatoué sur toutes ses peaux si bien que chaque frappe de caisse claire fait penser à un coup de gong étouffé, du synthé cryptique à volonté, du piano et des ch?urs samplés savamment produits ? voire sur certains passages de la guitare acoustique dont le timbre blanc déteint comme de rien dans le bleu nuit épais qui glace l?environnement sonore. Au risque de me répéter, je répète à ceux que ça interpelle que Void of Silence pourraient être perçu comme le virus qui s?échapperait de la carcasse comateuse d?un Shape of Despair terrassé par un mauvais trip au savon rouillé. Comprenne qui voudra, mais ça veut presque tout dire.
D?un enfer à l?autre, la guitare trace une progression obsédante en allers-retours qui donne parfois l?impression de glisser sans résistance au gré d?une spirale guidant vers les entrailles de la musique. Vers l?un des abondants marque-pages, paragraphe symphonique ciselé ou césure de rythme dramatique qui, avec force mais sans précipitation, relance l?engrenage fatidique, comme un métronome que l?on remonte juste à temps avant qu?il ne s?éteigne dans le silence, ici comme un auditeur que l?on rattrappe par la main peu avant qu?il ne se noie sous la banquise de sa conscience faute d?avoir pensé à reprendre sa respiration.
L?intégration exotique au chant de l?Irlandais Alan N. Nemtheanga (Primordial) est une aubaine inattendue pour Void of Silence. Sa façon de gérer en adéquation avec la musique un chant clair violemment expressif est parfaite. Traînante mais non lymphatique, désespérée mais non larmoyante, sa voix devient aux instants choisis le pylone qui cristallise la personnalité de l?ensemble, jusqu?à revêtir une aura de menace lors de narratifs implacables destinés à accumuler la tension avant ou entre les développements mégalithiques (« Children, I call you to war? »).
En clair, ceux qui passent leur vie en quête de l?expérience ultime en matière de musique sombre et émotionnelle peuvent s?arrêter de chercher, si ce n?est pour de bon au moins le temps de savourer un album référence qui risque d?écrire une ligne indélébile dans le peloton de tête de leur palmarès.
Que pourrait-on bien trouver pour tirer un peu la note vers le bas ? Dire que les morceaux dévient un peu de leur focus dans la dernière ligne droite, notamment un « To a Sickly Child » qui, malgré une intro phénoménale, égare beaucoup de son influx malsain dans une construction en puzzle maîtrisée in extremis, trop tard pour en faire un winner. Dire aussi que, pour les pionniers du groupe, « Human Antithesis » sera de constitution globale trop apparentée à ses précécesseurs pour déclencher le même choc initial, par exemple ces déglutitions entre jouissance pure et intimidation qui accompagnèrent la découverte pétrifiée du poison mortel « Criteria ov 666 ». Rien de bien aggravant en somme, isn?t it ? Le thermomètre restera donc dignement bloqué à 17. En-dessous de zéro, s'entend...

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

http://metal.de/cdreviews.php4?was=review&id=4316

VOID OF SILENCE - Human Antithesis (8/10)
Doom Metal
Underground-Band - Label/Kontakt: Code666
6 Songs (61:19)
Leserwertung: 10/10

Void Of Silence aus der italienischen Hauptstadt, sind kein unbeschriebenes Blatt mehr in ihrem Heimatland und konnten auch schon international auf sich aufmerksam machen. Der Sound der Italiener ist dabei recht schwer zugänglich und glänzt in vielen verschiedenen Facetten. Infernalische und zugleiche doomige Parts spielen gleichberechtigt neben romantischen ambient- und industriallastigen Klängen. Ein ganz besonderes Novum ist allerdings "Primordial" Sänger "A.A. Nemtheanga", der auf "Human Antithesis" sein Debüt am Mirko von Void Of Silence gibt. Die äußerst gewöhnungsbedürftige aber sehr vielschichtige Stimme des "Primordial" Frontmanns unterstützt die Scheibe zu jedem Moment und lässt den Mix aus rohen, treiben Gitarren, mächtigen Schlagzeugarrangements und den ruhigen, fast besinnlich wirkenden Ambient-Parts förmlich plastisch wirken. Schon der zwanzigminütige Opener "Human Antithesis", der in drei Teile gegliedert ist, schöpft ein weites Spektrum der düsteren Musikkunst aus. Fragiler Sprechgesang, untermahlt von industrialartigen Synthesizer-Parts, mündet nahtlos in krächzendem Wehgeschrei. Schwere Moll-Riffs untermalen dabei stets die apokalyptische Grundstimmung. Besonders auf dem nachfolgenden "Grey Horizon" dominiert das bleierne Riffing, welches durch Synthesizereinlagen, die zu keiner Zeit kitschig wirken, in Szene gesetzt wird. Das gesamte Album strotzt nur so vor Gänsehautmomenten, egal ob partiell verwendeter Frauenchor, oder die völlig untypische Kombination stilistischer Eigenheiten, lassen einen dieses wohlige Gefühl erleben. Void Of Silence schaffen, ob bewusst oder unbewusst eine Art Musik, die in dieser Form wohl einzigartig ist. Die Musik ist, wie Öl und Wasser in einem Behälter der sich dreht und steht, die Elemente vermischen sich, um sich anschließend wieder zu trennen. Man fügt zusammen, was vordergründig nicht denkbar ist und fordert dem Hörer somit einiges ab, was ohne die nötige Gewöhnungsphase schnell in eine Sackgasse laufen kann. Wer Doom mag und vor Experimenten nicht zurückschreckt, sei diese Scheibe wärmstens empfohlen. Klasse!!! (Norman / 07.06.2004)


http://desibeli.net/arvostelu/1094/Void_Of_Silence__Human_Antithesis

Void Of Silence: Human Antithesis
Arvostelija: Mika Roth
Arvio
Code 666

Italialaista hidasta, raskasta ja eteeristä doomia joka lähenee jo dark ambientin puolta. Aika tarkkaan on tämäkin kerros metallin suuresta pilvenpiirtäjästä jo käyty läpi, mutta Void Of Silence onnistuu siitäkin huolimatta tuomaan näihin tuttuihin pohjapiirustuksiin jotain uutta. On vaikea sanoa mikä tuo jokin on, mutta ehkäpä sillä on jotain tekemistä sen kanssa että bändi on tällä hetkellä italialais-irlantilainen. Kaikista soittimista vastaavat Riccardo Conforti ja Ivan Zara kun osoittivat ovea vokalisoinnista aiemmin vastanneelle Malfeitor Fabbanille ja palkkasivat hänen tilalleen irlantilaisen Primordialin laulajan Alan Nemtheangan. Tämä vokalistin vaihdos on tehnyt vain hyvää Void Of Silencelle sillä Nemtheangan ilmaisussa on ihan omanlaistaan tunteen paloa ja tuomiota, eli juuri niitä elementtejä joita doomin ja dark ambientin puolella ehdottomasti tarvitaan.

Levyn aloitukseksi on sijoitettu yli 20 minuuttinen nimiteos Human Antithesis. Tämä julman kaunis mestariteos nousee väistämättä koko levyn upeimmaksi hetkeksi jolloin kaikki toimii juuri niin kuin pitääkin. Nemtheangan vuoroin laulaessa komean matalalla, mutta silti melodisella äänellään ja vuoroin taas lausuessa sangen teatraalisia sekä dramaattisia rivejä, voi nähdä mielessään loputtomien ja ehdottoman synkkien maisemien jatkuvan aina kaukaiseen horisonttiin asti. Myös miltei 12 minuuttinen To A Sickly Child onnistuu lyijyn raskaiden riffien ja kevyempien efektien yhdistelyssä erinomaisesti. Myös nyt vokalistin monipuolinen työskentely on se kaiken huipentava viimeinen silaus.

Void Of Silence edustaa musiikkia, jota ei voi kuunnella kuin tietyissä fiiliksissä. Mutta silloin kun aika on sopiva, on tämä yhtye erittäin vahvoilla. Human Antithesiksen ainoa ongelma on materiaalin lievä epätasaisuus, sillä jotkut raidat eivät yksinkertaisesti kanna loppuun asti. Muilta osin pitkäsoitto on lupauksia lunastava ja uusia antava, sillä yhtye on mennyt selvästi eteenpäin ja ei ole mitään syytä olettaa että kehitys päättyisi tähän, luulenpa että se on vasta kiihtymässä.


http://www.666metal.com/reviews/showreview.cfm?albID=2806&visitor=0

If you thought ?The Wall? was a down, depressing album, ?Human Antithesis? will show you how wrong you are. Compare to this, ?The Wall? sounds more like a party music type of album! Maybe ?Human Antithesis? can be seen as the result of a band extinct for nearly 25 years who would have been crawling in the underground ever since?

After receiving the compilation ?Better Undead than Alive? from Code666, Void of Silence, along with Enid, were the bands I simply had to order their latest work. All this resulting from a couple songs?After indulging myself in their world of total despair, I couldn?t wait to get my doomed hands on their new opus.

I?m considering the new addition of Alan Nemtheanga (Primordial) on vocals as a prime suspect in what makes Void of Silence sounding at the summit of their nightmarish sense of creativity. The man can dig out some emotional deepness in his varied interpretation ranging from harsh and sick black vocals to higher pitched clean vocals reminiscent to the Floyd movement already mentioned. Call it apocalyptic, depressed, the aftermath or what you want as long as it?s nothing like a happy ending! The all present keyboard work is literally forming an amazing emotional sonic wall on which the darkest moments are being painted. The opening long lasting epic title track (20:15) is more than worth the price of the album just by including industrial samplings, Italian spoken words, loud percussions, dark keys, spaced out keys, symphonic keys, fuzzed lead guitar, a dramatic mood and the great vocals from this British singer. If you survive past this point, you?ll end up on my next favorite section with ?To a Sickly Child? and ?Dark Static Moments? .This is the song I found resembling Pink Floyd the most with the dog barking, slow mode, clean vocals on track #4, a dark and scary black voice on the other. Both have a slow devastating pace, heavy riffs, and a wall to wall multi layered keyboard extravaganza for emotional purposes.

An absolute must for anyone who likes doom music and / or is looking for what the day after would really sounds like.

9.5 / 10


http://wavegothic.de/cdreviews.php4?was=review&id=4316

VOID OF SILENCE - Human Antithesis (8/10)
Doom Metal
Underground-Band - Label/Kontakt: Code666
6 Songs (61:19)
Leserwertung: 10/10

Void Of Silence aus der italienischen Hauptstadt, sind kein unbeschriebenes Blatt mehr in ihrem Heimatland und konnten auch schon international auf sich aufmerksam machen. Der Sound der Italiener ist dabei recht schwer zugänglich und glänzt in vielen verschiedenen Facetten. Infernalische und zugleiche doomige Parts spielen gleichberechtigt neben romantischen ambient- und industriallastigen Klängen. Ein ganz besonderes Novum ist allerdings "Primordial" Sänger "A.A. Nemtheanga", der auf "Human Antithesis" sein Debüt am Mirko von Void Of Silence gibt. Die äußerst gewöhnungsbedürftige aber sehr vielschichtige Stimme des "Primordial" Frontmanns unterstützt die Scheibe zu jedem Moment und lässt den Mix aus rohen, treiben Gitarren, mächtigen Schlagzeugarrangements und den ruhigen, fast besinnlich wirkenden Ambient-Parts förmlich plastisch wirken. Schon der zwanzigminütige Opener "Human Antithesis", der in drei Teile gegliedert ist, schöpft ein weites Spektrum der düsteren Musikkunst aus. Fragiler Sprechgesang, untermahlt von industrialartigen Synthesizer-Parts, mündet nahtlos in krächzendem Wehgeschrei. Schwere Moll-Riffs untermalen dabei stets die apokalyptische Grundstimmung. Besonders auf dem nachfolgenden "Grey Horizon" dominiert das bleierne Riffing, welches durch Synthesizereinlagen, die zu keiner Zeit kitschig wirken, in Szene gesetzt wird. Das gesamte Album strotzt nur so vor Gänsehautmomenten, egal ob partiell verwendeter Frauenchor, oder die völlig untypische Kombination stilistischer Eigenheiten, lassen einen dieses wohlige Gefühl erleben. Void Of Silence schaffen, ob bewusst oder unbewusst eine Art Musik, die in dieser Form wohl einzigartig ist. Die Musik ist, wie Öl und Wasser in einem Behälter der sich dreht und steht, die Elemente vermischen sich, um sich anschließend wieder zu trennen. Man fügt zusammen, was vordergründig nicht denkbar ist und fordert dem Hörer somit einiges ab, was ohne die nötige Gewöhnungsphase schnell in eine Sackgasse laufen kann. Wer Doom mag und vor Experimenten nicht zurückschreckt, sei diese Scheibe wärmstens empfohlen. Klasse!!! (Norman / 07.06.2004)

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

www.obliveon.de

VOID OF SILENCE
HUMAN ANTITHESIS
61:11
CODE666
SPV

Düsterer und beklemmender auf der einen, gleichsam monumentaler und intensiver auf der anderen Seite kann man Doom Metal nicht mehr spielen. Schon ?Criteria ov 666? war ein Meilenstein in der künstlerischen Darstellung menschlicher Sehnsüchte und Abgründe, doch ?Human Antithesis? setzt diesem Monumentalalbum nochmal die Krone auf. Void of Silence schwelgen in elegischer Trauer, grenzenloser Verzweiflung und scheinbarer Selbstaufgabe, wobei sich die Verpflichtung von Primordial Sänger Alan Nemtheanga als purer Glücksgriff erweist. Gerade seine voller Wut und Verzweiflung hinausgeschrieenen Leiden rütteln an den Grundfesten menschlichen Daseins, nur um im nächsten Moment in erhabene Melodien voller schwermütiger Anmut und Melancholie zu münden, untermalt von epischen Ambient-Dronen und gespenstischen Samples voller apokalyptischer Düsterkeit. Void of Silence sind die kreative Verkörperung des Weltschmerz und in ihrer gnadenlosen Konsequenz ein Manifest des Unfassbaren und Unbegreiflichen. Die Apokalypse hat begonnen ?
10/10
MK

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

a cool inti online
http://www.hmp.it/modules.php?name=Interviews&rop=showcontent&id=446

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

www.nocturnalhall.com

VOID OF SILENCE ? Human Antithesis

Label: code666
Release: 17.05.2004
Von: Dajana
Punkte: 8,5
Time: 61:19
Stil: Apocalyptic Doom Metal
URL: Void Of Silence

Lange haben wir auf das Nachfolge-Album zu Criteria Ov 666 warten müssen, was nicht zuletzt an den üblichen Line-up Querelen lag. MalFeiTor Fabban (Aborym), der eben erwähntem Zweitwerk seine unvergleichlich schizophrene Stimme lieh und Criteria Ov 666 zu einem absoluten Hörerlebnis machte, wurde nach langer Suche von Alan Nemtheanga (Primordial) ersetzt. Die Gründer von VOID OF SILENCE Riccardo Conforti und Ivan Zara sind natürlich geblieben und zeichnen nach wie vor für die großartige Musik verantwortlich.
Human Antithesis führt erwartungsgemäß den eingeschlagenen Weg fort. Es scheint wieder ein Konzeptalbum zu sein, über die menschlichen Abgründe und Schwächen, der Hass auf Gott und das Kranke in dieser Welt. Der erste Part der CD Human Antithesis ist in 3 Kapiteln unterteilt. Es gibt sakrale Chöre ? wenn auch nicht mehr in der Häufigkeit und auch nicht mehr so krank, jede Menge an abgedrehter Melodielinien, Samples, dezenter klassische Anleihen (z.B. bei Grey Horizon, das Piano klingt nach einer Schwanensee Adaption), massive Gitarrenwände (Untitled) und natürlich endlos düstere, doomige, apokalyptische Soundgebilde, die einen in elegischer Selbstverzweifelung den Schmerz der Welt spüren lassen. Industrial Elemente gibt es diesmal kaum. In Alan Nemtheanga hat man einen ausgezeichneten Nachfolger gefunden, der an Ausdrucksstärke z.B. einem Aaron Stainthorpe kaum in etwas nachsteht, dennoch fehlt mir hier der letzte Kick, welcher den Vorgänger so faszinierend gemacht hat.
Insgesamt ist Human Antithesis ein hervorragendes Werk geworden, ohne Schwächen, mit so vielen Emotionen und Abgründen ... Apocalyptic Doom Metal ? yeah! Man kann es kaum besser beschreiben. Die dunklen Zeiten können kommen ...

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

Legacy translation
>Void Of Silence
>'Human Antithesis' CD 2004
>The horror of relentless silence has been paid homage
>to in a number of ways, from Edvard Munch's optically
>subversive scream and most vividly through the music
>of Ulver, whose EP series saw them almost submerge
>into a nothingness of almost-tones. At first glance
>Void Of Silence doesn't appear to fit in this picture,
>because their language is in the form of monstrous
>hymns to the apocalypse; majestic, heavy and
>oppressive. As a window shattering far in the
>distance, the urgent words adopt alternatively
>dictatorial or liturgical intonation, whereby the
>differences, if 'Human Antithesis' is to be believed,
>are only of a marginal nature, because the almost
>twenty minute epos, which gives the album its title,
>tells us that regardless of to whom one prays, there
>will be no answer. Ever. Truly, no silence could be
>more cruel, more omnipotent than that of the gods.
>Void Of Silence raise this to a maxim: simultaneously
>creating the canon of all dark music and contained
>within its antithesis. Industrial due to the
>frighteningly clashing sound cascades of the cold,
>machine-like drum, Doom Metal with a total inner
>conviction that all existence is pointless, Black
>Metal wrestling with emotional force and ambience,
>where massive choirs ascend from threatening sound
>swathes. The spiral in which the six tracks descend
>leads to endlessness, through - thanks to the notable
>spectrum of new singer Nemtheanga (Primordial),
>between manic screams à la Skepticism and dark
>murmuring and plaintive singing in the vein of Brendan
>Perry - the atria of hell and beyond to the eternal
>void. Although this variation means Void Of Silence
>don't achieve the same culmination in martial strength
>of Elend's 'Winds Devouring Men', create a vacuum like
>Monumentum and are probably never as destructive as
>Esoteric, the most cryptic Doom blossom. In common
>with all of their contemporaries, however, 'Human
>Antithesis' shares an artful trailblazing, dark
>pathos.
>13/15
>Marcel Tilger (Legacy)

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

rock hard de (translation)

>Void Of Silence
>'Human Antithesis' CD 2004
>When an Italian band swaps a relatively average singer
>such as Aborym's Malfeitor Fabban in favour of a
>certain Alan A. Nemtheanga, they have in principal
>done everything right. Suddenly Void Of Silence's
>overflowing ambient-esque soundscapes function. The
>charismatic Primordial frontman injects the
>apocalyptic resonance with an intoxicating dose of
>tragedy and epic poetry. The third album released by
>the band formed in Rome in 1999 drags the listener
>deep down, shocks with tidings of despair and bids
>pure atmosphere. But be warned: the miseries embodied
>in sound, in places up to twenty minutes long, only
>sporadically possess song character. Anyone drawn to
>My Dying Bride's darkest moments, the atmospheric
>density of Mindrot / Eyes Of Fire and a Primordial
>highlight like 'The Soul Must Sleep' will be deeply
>moved by the Italian's vision. Void Of Silence,
>together with Monumentum and Novembre make up the most
>remarkable bands in Berlusconi country. Breathtaking.
>8/10
>Patrick Schmidt (Rock Hard)

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

http://www.tragenda.net/elskrin/website/reviews.asp?IDalbum=603

?This is where the dream ends? ?where the worth you have placed upon your life is finally revealed as nothing? ?let these words echo deep in your heart for you shall hear them again and again? ?no one can hear you? ?my words will cut your flesh like a knife.? Così inizia uno degli album più oscuri, taglienti e crudelmente nichilisti del 2004.
Sicuramente diverrà medianico per coloro che vivono legati alla malinconia questo ultimo lavoro dei Void Of Silence, band particolare, dalla poetica sottile e agghiacciante, caratterizzata sul piano musicale da sonorità doom, dark e talora ambient che si legano per creare quanto di più depressivo e grigio possa toccare il cuore umano. Il gruppo nato nel 1999, e con ora alla voce Alan Nemtheanga dei Primordial che aiuta i due fondatori, Riccardo Conforti e Ivan Zara, a rendere ancora più cupa questa sinfonia macabra, rientra a pieno titolo nelle produzioni Code 666, per lo sperimentalismo che lo anima e che insieme ai ritmi rallentati fino allo spasmo sembra soffocare qualsiasi possibilità di respiro. Le canzoni sono frequentemente introdotte da voci atoniche che con fredda insensibilità leggono gazzettini in stile periodo totalitario, sibili di oscura propaganda che sembrano essere il simbolo dell?assurdità delle vicende che poi sconvolgeranno l?umanità durante le guerre mondiali. Le note pungenti di questi brani, incerti nel loro procedere, sempre più frenato dalla paura, dalla mancanza di orizzonti (si ascolti ?Grey Horizon? per capire), sprofondano in uno stato di affanno e solitudine che la voce lamentevole riesce addirittura a rendere più insopportabile. Tormento, inquietudine, turbamento.. la negatività e la distruzione che la mente umana può concepire sono tutte condensate in questo lavoro che sembra la celebrazione della fine di ogni speranza o ideologia. Emozionante il parlato in italiano dell?ultima ?CXVIII? (il Canto 118 dei Fleurs Du Male baudelairiani), così drammatico da riuscire a catapultare l?ascoltatore nella dimensione dei vili, di coloro che vivono in costante costernazione, sudditanza spirituale per l?assenza o perdita di un qualsiasi sogno o certezza.. e attraverso la disfatta di questi uomini ci costringe a un contatto costante con la morte. Non c?è una canzone che emerge sulle altre, perché tutte legate come tappe di un doloroso viaggio ci mostrano le varie ?Antitesi Umane?: persone devote al loro Dio riescono ad uccidere senza esitazioni pronunciando ?Vuote Preghiere? per una propria liberazione dai misfatti, ?Propagande Oscure? diventano comune routine in momenti in cui la Follia sembra l?unica bestia a regnare.
Queste canzoni scuoteranno l?animo di chi ha visto giungere la fine dei propri sogni, cullandolo con melodie macchiate di lacrime.

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

http://www.pullthechain.be

Fundamentally rooted in doom and industrial ambient metal is about the only point of genre reference for the mystifying metal composed by this italian act. Void of Silence return with a new album of pure experimental music and as both previous releases, it?s extremely original and innovative music played flawlessly. Void Of Silence is one of a kind with their unique idea of industrial / machine sounding doom metal. If you want to experience the diversity of this «Human Antithesis», just check out the first very long (more than twenty minutes) track. The song structure is very complex and despite the band evolves in what you may label as the industrial doom ambient metal area; the music is often unpredictable and quite surprising. Main change from the «Criteria Ov 666» album is the presence of Primordial?s vocalist Alan Nemtheanga (see the album reviews section). Void Of Silence have recorded a competent album full of different atmospheres and feelings. Recommended for each open-minded listener.
Patricia

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

http://digitalmetal.com/reviews.asp?cid=3555

Void of Silence
Human Antithesis
(Code666)
I can't really say Italy has a solid stranglehold on the Doom genre, but after this, their third album, Rome?s Void of Silence at least seem ready to make others take notice. After the horrifically bad Carinou album, I was reluctant to give this a listen but it turns out, VOS are a pretty creative, original and talented band. Playing an industrialized, ambient style of experimental doom metal, VOS deliver an apocalyptic take on doom with expected lengthy tunes, massive lurching riffs, and emotional varied synths. With Primordial vocalist Alan Nemtheanga in the ranks, VOS create a rich and varied sound that crosses many boundaries. Not as emotive as the Finnish melancholy filled take on doom, VOS are far more robotic, with programmed drums and lots of far more mechanical atmospherics rather than a lush organic sound. The opening twenty minute, three part title track pretty much covers all doom metal territory with a bleak outlook on mankind?s future. The track actually plays like a movie with a palatable start, middle and hopeful climax, with Nemtheanga covering very Aaron Stainthorpe like territory in his mostly clean delivery. The despairing ?Grey Horizon? is slightly more traditional in its use of sobering guitars and minimal synths, and Nemtheanga shows surprising emotional range. Main composer Riccardo Conforti shows himself to be an adventurous song writer, and his Italian heritage surface in some of the very subtle choral work of the first 2 tracks, but comes to light in the evocative Untitled mid album track. His mix of both romantic and mechanical elements is as strange dichotomy (church bells and industrial FX to start ?To A Sickly Child?), but he pulls it off. ?To A Sickly Child? also shows Nemtheanga?s more brutish side with a deep more traditional funeral doom growl along with his croon. The eleven minute track, like the title track covers a lot of ground, encompassing a whole gamut of classic doom and industrial elements but it never seems forced or muddled like Zaraza or even Source of Tide. At 7:36 it crashes in with a thunderous riff that?s classic doom metal, showing Conforti clearly understands the genre despite his mainly experimental musings. ?Dark Static Moments?, at 15 minutes starts to test your attention span, as most doom metal albums do with mostly the same lethargic pace, but the atypical synth and FX work as well as Nemtheanga?s evocative voice keep it interesting. I listened just to see what Conforti would insert next, and ?Dark Static Moments? actually ends up being the most ?normal? of the tracks on the album, being possibly the slowest most depressive track on the album comparable to My Dying Bride?s better late era work and a welcome return of Nemtheanga?s growl. ?CXVIII? closes out the album with a rather piecemeal instrumental with some Italian spoken words (there are several expected bouts of it littered around the album), but it doesn?t put any emotional closure on album ripe with somber passion. Still, Human Antithesis is a solid, sometimes engrossing album, and VOS appear to be a band ready to make a splash with this album and deliver something good from Italy that?s not power metal or pasta based.
[Erik Thomas]

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

http://maelstrom.nu/ezine/review_is..._rs=7&osCsid=7998127109f86a59fe3c472ba8a973f2

review by: Bastiaan de Vries

Code666 has a habit of releasing bands that are always very interesting to look at, even to delve into a little, but only a handful of them actually prove worthy of the investment on the long run (I?m taking issue with that one ? Roberto). Suffice to say that you should ALWAYS check out the bands this label puts out, but be wary of spending your money left and right before you are absolutely sure it?s what you want.

Void of Silence is one of those bands that float around on the border of worthy/not worthy. For some people who hear this, they will drop to their knees, clutch their hearts and thank who ever is out there for this next-in-line, miracle wonderland band that will forever remain the main interest of their hearts. For others? well, for others it?s not that dramatic. If you are among the dramatic metal heads, you can safely go out and get this right away, especially if you LIKE dramatic metal, because if anything, Void of Silence is just that.

I remain among the sceptical crowd, even after listening to this album for a week.

Granted, it is filled with:

- amazing parts that simply drip with black melancholy, forced out by lush and frail synths.

- long, drawn out songs that move seamlessly from one "holy" moment to the next.

- some excellent doom-ish guitar parts.

- long songs (the longest being the album opener at 20+ minutes) that stay interesting.

- DRAMA! (Alright, we get it, already! ? Roberto)

Which is all good, of course, but the record is also plagued with at times shady vocals, a rather shady drum production (especially on the cymbals) and an all around shady feeling that listening to this album is slowly turning me into a drama queen (mission accomplished - endlessly butting in Roberto).

So unless you are absolutely CRAVING for some good old drama in the form of a metal band that is said to "set a new standard of quality and originality, creating a brand new music style," I call bullshit and tell you to give this pseudo-doom album a listen before buying it. (6.9/10)



All related articles (interviews, live, from the vault)

 

[Sonm]

Can I put my own review? it's short...
just bought two CDs, well actually already 4! two are for my friends... Both criteria and Antithesis ARE INCREADIBLY ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOCK!!!!!!!!! And my mark will be
10000000000000000 out of 10))))))))))) Great piece of Art guys!!!!!!
Cheers Emi and Fausto and all other guys from CODE and thank you very much for Voide of Silence.)

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3113426&postcount=1

"Let these words echo deep, deep into your heart..."

Unbelievable. Undefinable. Untouchable. One of the absolute best albums 2004 has witnessed.

"You can pray to God, you can pray to Allah, you can pray to whoever, he will not hear you..."

Doom, industrial, post-black... classical piano, strings, thundering riffs, female vocals, church bells, growls, samples, dark despair... It's a hell of a job to describe something this good.

"Do I need to stain the air with its name?"

The first song, the idiosyncratic title track, is over 20 minutes long and is perhaps the best song I've heard this year. Sprawling, atmospheric, beautiful, desperate and hateful all at the same time. The militaristic spoken passages make you want to ride to fucking war (hell, they are Romans...) And the presence of PRIMORDIAL's Alan Nemtheanga only enhances this effect. Strangely enough, the rest of the album doesn't disappoint. Layered in synths, sonic effects and ambient noise, VOID OF SILENCE have released an apocalyptic doom metal masterpiece. I'm still trying to decide if this or MORGION's latest is the doom album of the year... At the moment, it looks like "Human Antithesis" is in the lead.

A big surprise and absolutely essential.


9.3/10


Black Winter Day

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

doom-metal.com
With their two previous albums, Riccardo Conforti and Ivan Zara have proven that their unique mix of dark electronics and doom metal brings forth some of the more original music in today's scene. With this one, they prove they can go beyond that and deliver a downright classic album. The recruitment of Alan Nemtheanga of Primordial fame on vocals was the perfect decision at the perfect time for Void of Silence.

From the diverse, epic title track, straight through to the sinister, Italian outro, 'Human Antithesis' takes you on a dark, dark journey through anger, depression, despair and mental oblivion. Majestic guitar leads over chugging riffs, powerful keyboards, pounding drums, combined with samples, electronics and dark ambiences and Alan's soaring clean vocals and sick screams and growls to top it off. That is the form. Doom is the message?
These are over 60 minutes of the darkest doom you'll ever hear. 'Human Antithesis' grips you by the throat and does not let you go until the last notes fade away into silence. It is hard to point out exactly what makes this album such a success. Alan?s clean vocals, which are exceptionally well suited to doom metal and the beautiful "Grey Horizon" are but two of the many highlights it contains.

Everything about this album is right. The music on itself is of the highest level in modern doom, but borne by the superb vocals, it transcends the genre. This is pure brilliance!

 

[Michele/Xyphias]

http://powerlord.dataportalen.com/metalnorge/?action=omtaler&ID=640

Void of Silence - Human Antithesis

Jeg har aldri egentlig tatt meg bryet å sjekke ut Void Of Silence før. Bandet har sluppet to full-lengdere før denne. En på samme selskap som nå ? Italienske Code666, og en på Nokturnal Music. Bandet har alltid vært på lur i undergrunnen, men aldri gjort det helt store utav seg. Med dagens distribusjon på Code666, kanskje de når ut til fler folk. Misforstå meg rett her, de lager overhodet ikke særlig allmenn musikk ? mørk, tung, elektronisk doom gjennomsyret av en nitrist apokalyptisk atmosfære. Det er ikke likevel ikke grunnen til at jeg har omfavnet dette albumet, det må nok Alan Nemtheangas røst ta mye av æren for. Mannen som til vanlig synger i det Irske folk / black metal-bandet Primordial besitter vokale evner få kan stille opp i mot. Ikke at han er så innmariflink til å synge, men innlevelsen er alltid maks, det er også hvorfor jeg har lagt mitt elsk på Primordial (det skal dog ikke puttes i en skuff at musikken er genial der). Bare hør hvor han tar i når han synger på ?To A Sickly Child?, det er nesten så du føler dommedag er på vei. Growlinga hans er noe som alltid kommer til å gi meg frysninger, uansett om det er her, i Primordial, eller når han synger det ? genial mann!

Enkelte vil nok kalle dette funeral doom, og det er sant ? den blytunge atmosfæren er nok noe de fleste fans av sjangeren vil kjenne igjen, men likevel byr Void Of Silence på mye mer variasjon enn hva de fleste funeralband gjør. Til tross for akkurat det ville nok den nærmeste sammenligningen være en crossover av Woods of Belial og Tyranny. Da sett bort ifra vokalen, som spiller en mye mer sentral rolle i Void of Silence enn hva den gjør i de to andre banda. Rent sammenligningsmessig med Tyranny, synes jeg Void of Silence greier å hente fra apokalyptisk og ensom stemning, på samme måte som de greier få til å høres ut som hele jorda har druknet. Det er også artig å høre hvordan de har greid å bruke samplinger på en veldig spesiell måte ? disse latinskprat-samplingene henter fram en følelse av siste preken før jorda går under. Også synthen skal ta endel av kreditten for den herlige dystre stemningen, for uten den og samplingene kunne nok Void of Silence framstått noe nedstrippet. Jeg kan tenkte meg at enkelte synes det blir for mye elektronikk her, men som virkemiddel fungerer det helt utmerket gjennom hele plata. Melodisk sett overrasker de fra tid til annen og, når en og annen pinlig fengende trudelutt vrenger seg igjennom lydteppet før det forsvinner atmosfæren igjen. Jeg tror faktisk det er noe bandet tjener godt på ? å spare litt på de gode melodiene, å bare la de slippe til litt her og der.

Men til tross for at ?Human Antithesis? uten problemer henter fram stemninger fra krig og dommedag, savner jeg elementer som kunne gjort musikken en tanke mer allsidig. Spesielt trommelyden vil jeg klage litt på her, nå vet jeg ikke om trommene er programerte eller ekte, men de låter ganske så programerte, ikke at det låter dårlig på noen måte, men en mer organisk trommelyd tror jeg kanskje bandet kunne tjent godt på. Kontraster gjør ofte slike skiver mer spennende. Litt mer akustisk gitar her og der hadde vel heller ikke skadet. Men til tross for disse to små klagemomentene, så har Void of Silence laget en utmerket hyllest til apokalypsen, og med vokal framført av Alan Nemtheanga, har de laget et veldig ekte og treffende doom-metal album. Med låter som ?Grey Horizon (M.P.H MMIV)?, og ?To A Sickly Child?, kan fans av seig og spesiell doom trygt handle. Også fans av Primordial og nettopp mr. A. Nemtheanga kan snuse litt på denne.

 

[Bard F]

From Chronicles of Chaos

(www.chroniclesofchaos.com/Articles.aspx?id=2-3646)

by: Pedro Azevedo (8.5 out of 10)

My interest was most certainly piqued when I heard that Primordial vocalist Alan Nemtheanga would be teaming up with Italian apocalyptic doomsters Void of Silence for the follow-up to _Criteria ov 666_. It was therefore with high hopes that I first spun _Human Antithesis_, and the opening spoken lyrics seemed to confirm there was much in common between Nemtheanga and VoS: "This is where the dream ends / Where the soul of every man and woman is broken / Where you carry your crippled children in hope of salvation / And you will lay them down to die, for salvation does not come / And the worth you have placed upon your life is finally revealed as nothing".
One cannot fault Nemtheanga for lack of effort, in the sense that his performance is up to par with what he's done with Primordial. However the music itself is quite different, much slower and full of various elements creeping in and out of the soundscape. Most of the time his vocals are still well suited to what is going on in the music (which is the case throughout the excellent twenty minute title track, for instance), but on a couple of occasions he oversings some passages in a way that would have sounded more appropriate on a Primordial album. Still, his mixture of solemn, morose and wrathful vocals remains as talented as anyone who likes Primordial would expect. It is therefore one of the strongest elements in _Human Antithesis_, and a definite improvement over the vocals on the last album.

Meanwhile, Void of Silence continue to prove adept at creating very good apocalyptic doom, with plenty of subtle ambient touches and well incorporated keyboards. There is a great concern with ambient elements that is prevalent throughout the record; it is something the band do very well, and it helps elevate the album further away from anonimity. The interludes linking the main songs provide the most evident examples of this penchant, but VoS do not stop there, and it gives the album a more cohesive feeling. There is a great solemnity and desolation in their sound, a kind of decayed grandeur.

Sometimes one gets the feeling that this hour-long album could have been a few minutes shorter, that some less inspired bits might have been condensed or left out for the benefit of the rest; but _Human Antithesis_ still plays very well, and firmly places Void of Silence among the best of 2004's doom metal.

 

[Emi]

from ZERO MAGAZINE

http://www.zeromagazine.it/NoConventionalMuzik.htm

rate: 8/10

Terza prova sulla lunga distanza, per la band capitolina guidata da Riccardo Conforti e Ivan Zara.
L’artwork nerissimo, dalle palpabili atmosfere decadenti, rappresenta un’ottima introduzione all’apocalittico condensato di emozioni offertoci da questo Human Antithesis.
Soprattutto però, la musica dei VOS sintetizza in maniera personale e superba sia la scena dark ambient più oscura e criptica, sia il doom metal più enfatico e malinconico.
Un po’ come miscelare Lustmord e Raison d’Etre con un cocktail di Anathema e My Dying Bride, tanto per intenderci.
Il risultato pregevole si esprime al meglio negli iniziali venti minuti della titletrack, suddivisa in tre parti e caratterizzata da inquietanti spoken words (messaggi in codice risalenti alla seconda guerra mondiale) e da malsane coordinate marziali pronte a stemperarsi in una serie di salmodianti melodie orchestrali filtrate da passaggi di atmosferico industrial.
La new entry alla voce, A.A.Nemtheanga (successore di Fabban), fornisce ulteriore spessore ai pezzi, donando anche un’aura di epicità, grazie ad un utilizzo sapiente delle clean vocals, sempre potenti e ben integrate nel contesto musicale.
Cori e growling intervallano una passionale rilettura della tradizione death-doom, alla luce di una nuova, vasta, dimensione nichilista che i nostri dimostrano di saper padroneggiare egregiamente.
La complessità di questo primo pezzo non va perduta con i sette successivi ma evolve in un amalgama di atmosfere metal che dipingono foschi acquerelli su un poco rassicurante futuro.
E’ il pregio degli album ben fatti.
Sebbene siano costruiti in maniera complessa, con strutture articolate e un minutaggio abbastanza alto, essi riescono a suscitare un fascino appagante che non può non intrigare anche l’ascoltatore più smaliziato.
God s a rasted razor
The filth in your blood
The filth in this world
La fine è vicina, supportate la musica oscura!

 

[Bard F]

Void Of Silence – Human Antithesis - by Erin Fox, SMNnews.com

(www.smnnews.com/cds.php?subaction=showfull&id=1101839101&archive=&start_from=&ucat)

On their third record, Void Of Silence aurally define the term bleak with a chilling collection of avant-garde doom that is vast and incredibly artful. Marking the appearance of new vocalist Alan Nemtheanga (Primordial), this album is wholly successful in creating an emboldeneddark ambience that is compositionally epic throughout its sixty-one minutes. The chemistry in the performance here is truly laudable as you will discover upon hearing the complex, textured arrangements of standouts such as ‘Grey Horizon’ and ‘To A Sickly Child’
VOS spent over one year recording this album at Sicklab Studios in Rome, Italy, and the effort shows in the production, which istechnically brilliant. It is very obvious that a great deal of time wastaken to ensure the engineering was top-notch. When you considerthe compositional complexity and the structure of the album’s arrangements, the production job is shown to be that much more remarkable. Some engineers experience difficulty in dealing with lengthy, complex material as that contained on ‘Human Antithesis.That isn’t the case here. The levels are fine, with no instrument in specific overwhelmingly dominating the spectrum, and careful attention to the diversity of tonal qualities.
‘Human Antithesis’ begins the album, a three movement, twenty minute affair that runs through a series of sonic emotions. The first movement is entitled ‘The Dream Ends’, with its lyrical message of hopelessness. Dark emotion emanates from the imperial dirge that drones beneath the shallow, cold vocals of Nemtheanga. Acoustic guitars ring with fullness as operatic, Italian female vocals scale around the vocalist’s dark whispers. The second movement ‘EmptyPrayers’ finds the group flowing into some strong doom with excellent vocals ala early Candlemass. As an entire piece, this song is arranged masterfully. The manner in which this band bringsa diverse array of dark melodies together is truly amazing. Guitarist/ bassist Ivan Zara utilizes an ominous riff reminiscent of Metallica’s “To Live Is To Die’ on the third part of the song, ‘Black Propaganda’ as Nemtheanga whispers his political despair, leadingto further strains of classic doom.
‘Dark Static Moments’ resonates with sonic blackness, creating an impression of an onward march toward oblivion. The assorted samples of Italian speeches throughout the album gives the album a dimension of urgency, an edge of worry, a specter of forebodingreality. The song's endpart is much like slow black metal during the vocal passages. Riccardo Conforti provides some strong keyboard phrasing here that accents his own mechanical timekeeping. The keyboard performance adds a sinister tone to much of the album. The various sounds Conforti uses adds greatly to the overall sound, especially during the more symphonic sections.
It would be very interesting to see video footage to accompany this album. The range of tones and dark emotions portrayed in the musicof Void Of Silence on ‘Human Antithesis’ could be compared to Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ in terms of its epic nature. The sound here though, remains pure doom throughout, expertly written and well executed. You surely must own this masterpiece of hopelessness.

Rating 9/10

 

[Bard F]

From ROYAL CARNAGE Top Ten 2004 lists

"Let these words echo deep, deep into your heart..."

Unbelievable. Undefinable. Untouchable. One of the absolute best albums 2004 has witnessed.

"You can pray to God, you can pray to Allah, you can pray to whoever, he will not hear you..."

Doom, industrial, post-black... classical piano, strings, thundering riffs, female vocals, church bells, growls, samples, dark despair... It's a hell of a job to describe something this good.

"Do I need to stain the air with its name?"

The first song, the idiosyncratic title track, is over 20 minutes long and is perhaps the best song I've heard this year. Sprawling, atmospheric, beautiful, desperate and hateful all at the same time. The militaristic spoken passages make you want to ride to fucking war (hell, they are Romans...) And the presence of PRIMORDIAL's Alan Nemtheanga only enhances this effect. Strangely enough, the rest of the album doesn't disappoint. Layered in synths, sonic effects and ambient noise, VOID OF SILENCE have released an apocalyptic doom metal masterpiece. I'm still trying to decide if this or MORGION's latest is the doom album of the year... At the moment, it looks like "Human Antithesis" is in the lead.

A big surprise and absolutely essential.

RATE: 9.3/10
Review by: Black Winter Day