Black Void - Antithesis (2022)

Showcasing a different side of Lars Are Nedland, today we have his latest project Black Void, a sort of polar opposite release from his 2021, White Void “Anti”, release. Perfectly combining Punk and Black Metal with a mild dose of his soaring clean vocals, Lars delivers around 40 minutes of intense, hellish, and masterfully crafted music featuring a few guest appearances and a stellar supporting cast.

Opening with the sleazy “Void”, a statement piece that while it starts with typical Black’n’roll fare plus some hefty Punk-ish influences, the listener is still treated to majestic clean vocal arrangements and plenty of melody. Creating chaos and confusion, “Reject Everything” and “Death to Morality” pounce at the listener with ravaging guitars, courtesy of Jostein Thomassen (Borknagar), and a good dose of harsh vocals thrown into the mix.

There is no denying that the signature keyboards of Lars are as present as ever, with tracks like “Tenebrism of Life”, “No Right, No Wrong”, and “It's not Surgery, it's a Knife Fight” perfectly balancing the aggressive and Punkish nature of the band’s sound with a more refined and traditional catchiness. Our favorite track has to be the epic “Explode into Nothingness” and its relentless nature, contrasting lush vocal arrangements and harsh screams.

Overall, “Antithesis” is yet another brilliant release to come out of Lars Nedland’s mind. Filled with intricate arrangements, crafty vocal melodies, and ravaging guitar work, this album is as impressive as White Void’s “Anti”, but with a filthier and heavier edge to it. Not to mention that it features guest appearances of both Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ) and Hoest (Taake) to give it that extra kick.

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release: May 27th, 2022

Genre: Punk/Black Metal

Country: Norway