DVNE – Voidkind
DVNE – Voidkind
Metal Blade Records
Release Date: 19/04/2024
Running Time: 58:00
Review by Rory Bentley
10/10
Dvne are a band that have garnered slathering critical acclaim from many underground Metal hacks, including me when I reviewed their excellent 2022 live EP “Cycles of Asphodel”. Although it represented something of a stopgap between the rapturously received “Etemen Ænka” and this latest release, the live reimagining of the band’s songs recorded on this EP actually give a pretty good idea of where the band were headed. The songs felt more organic and expansive in a live setting, with more emphasis in building textures and creating the unique ambience that only live bodies on stage can.
“Voidkind” represents a further leap into creating epic soundscapes with minimal reliance on studio magic and layering. As the band state, in addition to adding a full-time keyboardist, there is a clear effort to utilise the band’s twin guitar attack to its full potential, with Victor Vicart and Allan Paterson crafting distinct parts that compliment each other and cut through a roaring live mix. There is also an almost improvisational feel to certain sections that bucks the Post-Metal trend of everything being meticulously planned within an inch of its life; things feel loose and fluid but never sloppy.
I got sent this album reasonably early and I’ve given it multiple listens (mainly while sitting by the pool on holiday which isn’t as ill a fit as it sounds) yet I still feel I haven’t scratched the surface of this one. What I can confirm, however is it’s fucking outstanding and by far the band’s best work to date. Building on the foundations of the previous album while loading up with melodic hooks, Dvne have created their own totally unique sonic universe that captures the menace, beauty and mystery of the deserts of Arrakis that give them their name.
‘Summa Blasphemia’ is a straight up jaw-jacker of an opener with an emphasis on colossal riffage and impassioned vocals that feels like Cult of Luna colliding with “Emperor of Sand” era Mastodon. It is the first example of a more concise songwriting approach from the band and one that is guaranteed to go off when the band start touring. It still retains the epic expansive feel fans love about the band yet it has the hooks and heft to draw in a wider range of fans.
The spidery arpeggios and shamanistic chanting of ‘Eleanora’ usher in the album’s first lengthy composition, yet despite everyone spreading their musical wings, it still retains a pounding sense of momentum and ear-catching songcraft without sanding off the band’s harsher and more avant garde edges. Special mention has to go to the rhythm section here, outstanding throughout but on a different planet during the bass and stick-work lead mid section that brings the crashing riffs down to a hallowed whisper before building the song back up to a devastating conclusion.
The band then throw in another more pacey melodic banger in ‘Reaching for Telos’ that provides the perfect contrast to the previous epic with some super catchy guitar leads and commanding clean vocals before setting the stage for the more feral and mind-bending ‘Reliquary’. The pacing on the record is exemplary and makes digesting what is objectively very complex and intricate music remarkably easy. As I stated, I still feel that there’s a plethora of detail and hidden depths that I have yet to discover on this enigmatic opus, yet every listen is so effortless and never fails to hold my attention, which as the resident Hardcore lad on this site that usually gets impatient with anything over 30 minutes is a hell of a feat.
I even love the interludes on here which I can think of very few instances where that has been true on other progressive releases, with ‘Path of Ether’ in particular feeling like a serene oasis amid the weighty dynamism found elsewhere. It also ensures that the already savage intro to ‘Abode of the Perfect Soul’ practically decapitates you when it kicks in. Earlier interlude ‘Path of Dust’ is equally beautiful and knits the opening suite of the record beautifully to the rest of the piece.
The final two tracks ‘Plērōma’ and ‘Cobalt Sun Necropolis’ amount to a whopping 16 minutes between them, a big ask of any listener by the time they get to the end of a work this demanding and involved, however I can honestly say things absolutely fly by. The latter track in particular is a psychedelic masterpiece that would make even the most unbearable Tool fan sit up and applaud. Somehow the band save the best for last and despite throwing everything at my poor little shell-likes in the closing stretch, that play button looks mighty tempting by the time the final notes ring out.
It has been an absolute pleasure to live in the world of “Voidkind” these last couple of weeks and it is a realm I will certainly be revisiting many times. Expect this one to be right at the business end of my albums of the year in December, Dvne have dropped their magnum opus and you owe it to yourself to zip up that still suit and dive into the desert with them.
DVNE- Pleroma (Official Video)
TRACKLISTING:
01. Summa Blasphemia
02. Eleonora
03. Reaching for Telos
04. Reliquary
05. Path of Dust
06. Sarmatæ
07. Path of Ether
08. Adobe of the Perfect Soul
09. Plērōmana
10. Cobalt Sun Necropolis
LINE-UP:
Victor Vicart – guitars, keyboards, vocals
Allan Paterson – guitars, bass
Dudley Tait – drums
Daniel Barter – vocals
Maxime Keller – keyboards, vocals
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rory Bentley and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
