Review: Void ‘Live – 1982’
Maryland might perhaps be familiar to The Shaman regulars for its doom scene and bands such as Internal Void, Revelation, Wretched, Unorthodox, Iron Man and of course The Obsessed, as well as the more stoner and blues-oriented Clutch. However, before these, another band stood out…
Formed in Columbia, Void were a major part of the early DC Hardcore scene next to Minor Threat, S.O.A., Government Issue, Bad Brains and Faith. Existing from 1980–1984, the band’s lineup consisted of John Weiffenbach (vocals), Bubba Dupree (guitar), Chris Stover (bass) and Sean Finnegan (drums). The band’s recording output is scant, consisting, as it does, of the legendary split with the aforementioned Faith, the Condensed Flesh EP, the underrated and unreleased Potion For Bad Dreams and the Sessions 1981-83 collection. It’s nice, therefore, to have Live – 1982to bulk out this criminally overlooked outfit’s catalogue.
The album is drawn from two concerts recorded in, you guessed it, 1982, at both the Wilson Centre and the 9:30 Club. There are two tracks on here which don’t feature on any of the band’s output (that I could see), the first being opener Shades Of Gray – a slower hard rock stoner jam, the kind Black Flag would later incorporate into their sound, and I’m sure members of Fu Manchu were listening closely too.
The other ‘new’ track is Slow Burn, whose Black Sabbath-esque (Paranoid era especially) passages alternate with their trademark hardcore in a manner reminiscent of Corrosion of Conformity’s 1983 debut Eye For An Eye. Void can thus be seen as the progenitors of what would later be known as crossover, and thus way ahead of their time.
The lightning speed on display leaves their contemporaries positively in the dust…
Next up are tracks from the Potion For Bad Dreams full-length. Starting with Spiral Staircase – a brilliant slice of moody post-punk and LA death rock, which highlighted the band’s desire to broaden their sound, even this early on in their career. Bloodlust is up next, and there’s definitely a heavy metal vibe going down, which allows the band to showcase their skills. Anyone can play a million miles an hour, but it takes real talent to slow things down and play well, which Void demonstrate they are more than capable of.
Let’s Party is fun, imagine The Damned’s Damned, Damned, Damned given a psychedelic twist, a definite personal favourite. The very fact that Potion… was never given an official release is a downright shame in my opinion, and I’ve always been hopeful it will someday see the light of day. After all, it has to have some merit if White Zombie and Melvins have since claimed it helped shape their own musical styles, right?
The remaining nine tracks are drawn from the split and focus on the band’s more hardcore-oriented material. They always had a heavily chaotic sound which recalls bands such as the Bad Brains, frontman Weiffenbach’s seemingly adopting H.R.’s rapid-fire, nasal whine, and high-pitched shrieks. Renowned for their intensity and already pretty quick on wax, live, however, it’s a whole different story. The lightning speed on display leaves their contemporaries positively in the dust, particularly tracks such as Organized Sports, Who Are You? and Think, which are rendered virtually unrecognisable. Stunning.
Void were an outfit that achieved so much and influenced so many, despite having a short life span. Both the album’s cover and Tom Lyle’s (Government Issue) production help capture the essence of a live Void set, which, for someone like me who was too young and at a geographic disadvantage, proves invaluable.
Label: Outer Battery Records
Band Links: Spotify
Scribed by: Reza Mills
