The land of Texas is one that isn’t exactly known for its metal scene, but much like many other places on the planet the state still manages to surprise us with acts we never saw coming. One such act is The Howling Void whose now ten-year tenure as a one-man band has been something that has become an essential listen if you consider yourself a purveyor of the metal underground. The man has put out some very interesting records, and his upcoming piece takes another step forward with the evergrowing talent that this single man has.

Starting out as a funeral doom band, The Howling Void was far from anything that we could call convention metal where this man set out to deliver cold and harsh metal that didn’t discriminate between the masses but simply mowed down whoever was in the way. Yet, over the years, the music that The Howling Void has become warmer in tone as well as becoming softer as opposed to the unforgiving texture of funeral doom, and it’s come to a delicious peak with “The Darkness at the Edge of Dawn”. For longtime fans who fear that I’m trying to say that The Howling Void has gone soft then worry not because this record has as much for extreme metal fans as it does for those of us who want something a little bit different. These five tracks fit such a description perfectly as the oddly warm sensation that “The Darkness at the Edge of Dawn” is one that spawns from a slow transition that has taken place over a few albums. That has allowed The Howling Void to imbue this album with various sensations that range from fantastic keys to a fantastic sense of heaviness that still manages to permeate every minute of this album that shows that The Howling Void hasn’t completely moved away from the original doom that started this wondrous journey. It all culminates to create this record that’s not only entertaining to boot but also one that can be called a multi-layered experience that shows the true talent behind The Howling Void, and that’s a gift that keeps on giving even after several listens of “The Darkness at the Edge of Dawn”.

The idea of constantly trying to better yourself and therefore try new things as an artist is one that I wholly endorse as it can lead to some truly magnificent shit, and THe Howling Voi is a terrific example of that in full bloom. “The Darkness at the Edge of Dawn” is an important step in the continuing evolution of The Howling Void, and one that will easily earn this man the recognition and praise that he deserves.

“The Darkness at the Edge of Dawn” releases on November 25th via Avantgarde Music!

LISTEN to “A Seed on Stone” from the album on Bandcamp here or via YouTube below.

LIKE The Howling Void on Facebook here.