DESOLATEVOID

DESOLATEVOID charged onto the scene like a meth-crazed rhino with "Self Medicated Psycho Therapy", concocting a deadly mix of crust punk, southern metal, and sludge that at various points recalled bands similar to SOILENT GREEN and EYEHATEGOD. On sophomore album "No Sign of Better Times", the group picks up right where it left off with another whiskey-fueled and mentally mangled collection of tunes that will send the 'core scenesters running for cover.

"No Sign of Better Times" is the sound of a band that has gained confidence and honed its craft, even though the debut sounded like the guys had been releasing albums for the past 10 years. Vocalist Andy Howard once again puts in a rabid performance rife with the kind of psychotic screams one might hear from a man just released from the joint after months in the hole. His mad yowling, together with the amplified distortion of guitarists Brent K. and Mark Stolp, the bass buzzing bludgeon of Nick Carroll, and the kit rattling chaos of drummer Tim Smith, make for a delectably nerve frying experience. Howard's admission of "I woke up today with vomit in my hair" on the ode to substance-abusing obliteration that is "Cuts, Bruises, and an Empty Wallet" sums up the hangover that quickly follows the listening experience.

DESOLATEVOID are particularly adept at creating a musical conglomeration of mass confusion and voltage overload that will get your drunk ass moving (but in an epileptic kind of way). Primarily, you will hear a mix of COC-esque southern strut crossed with SOILENT GREEN destructiveness (e.g. "Crimes against my Sanity", "Cuts, Bruises, and an Empty Wallet", and "Way Past Wits End") and metallic crust punk (e.g. "Isolation Embrace") in a way that is just plan riotous. The ability of the unit to effortlessly shift gears from breakneck romp to fuzzed-out mid-tempo boogie with riffs that'll straighten the neck hairs is matched by few. "No Sign of Better Times" is an album that demands your attention. Grab a copy and spread the word!