Far be it from abnormal to witness a band in metal seek torment upon one’s own soul rather than taking action upon the flesh and spirit of others. It’s something that plenty have attempted, plenty have succeeded in doing, and there’s still so much to be done with all that’s needed is simply the right approach. From the most unlikely sources can excellence of such an inward form come with it oftentimes being from the murky depths of the underground where we can find such efforts that tap into those themes on a level that feels compelling from the start. With their forthcoming work, Varnheim accomplishes that and more.

Black metal is no stranger to intensity of all kinds, yet there is something particularly interesting about when its special brand of violence is turned inwards and goes upon a journey that seeks the deepest pits of what’s held within your spirit. Varnheim has been on the rise since its first work six years ago, yet it is with virtually everything that they’ve brought to the table within the four tracks of “Void” that I cannot help but feel that this Polish act has tapped into something special. Throughout the entirety of its forty-two-minute runtime, Varnheim never once pulls its punches to make for a performance that’s as scathing in its execution as it is captivating in its precision of truly carving apart the human soul one thin layer at a time. It’s in the slow but sure descent into madness that we get a magnificent vision of what this album has to offer. Never once lacking in power but more than willing to pull back for a wallop of contrasting perspective, this is black metal that’s as unforgiving as it is carefully calculated in virtually every given moment. Simultaneously a ripper in its dark melodies and a haunting performance right from the get-go, it’s with “Void” that we’re taken on a harrowing journey whose end is salvation of a sort that requires great pain, release, and uncertainty. It’s at the end where Varnheim stands gloriously tall before what it has accomplished, where you cannot help but buckle to your knees before such terrifying power.

Through introspection and an uncompromised mission to delve into the darkest pits that the soul could ever possibly hold, it’s in this album that Varnheim succeeds in doing something that many strive to do even half as well as what’s done here. “Void” has answers within its darkness that requires pain and knowledge of your secret self in order to access, and its allure is all too sweet to resist.

“Void” releases on April 18th via Godz ov War Productions!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “Void” on Bandcamp here, or via YouTube below.

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