North Carolinian heavy progressive cosmic rockers Voidward will release their new three-songer, Occult Symmetry, on Feb. 21. As the follow-up to their 2022 self-titled LP (review here), the 19-minute outing is of course less substantial in runtime, but as the premiering-A/V-below lead cut “Light Rider” (4:33) — followed immediately by “Dark Miracle” (4:49) with “Plowman (Transmission to the Limerent Object)” (9:50) rounding out — demonstrates, the band are continuing to grow and develop their sound. Worth noting is that Occult Symmetry, in addition to the self-titled, also follows the Nov. 2024 four-song outing, The Plowman 11th Anniversary Series Macro-Single, which took the original “The Plowman” from the band’s 2013 debut EP, Knives, and reinterpreted it across four different versions, the first and most limerent of which is shared with the new EP as well.

That all gets kind of complex, and even more so when one considers Knives‘ foundation in black metal and sludge, but in the ensuing 12 years, Voidward have become a different band. Tonally, Occult Symmetry is less metal even than was the self-titled, and the guitar is able to reach that much farther in “Plowman” or “Dark Miracle” for that, the latter an intended complement to “Light Rider” and the redux’ed former standing on its own in runtime and maybe on side B of an imaginary 10″, if you prefer to think of it that way. There’s still plenty of distorted buzz, but the vocals lean more toward heavygaze and spaceprog than the rasp of the original “The Plowman,” and the intention feels more toward fluidity and a Pallbearer-esque wistful vocal melodicism takes hold amid the post-midsection chug. To compare, “Light Rider” tells its story in start-stop declarations drawing from and mellowing-out classic metal with a gentle push of groove in the chorus. There’s plenty of presence, no shortage of tonal weight, but “Light Rider” could just as easily be named for the fashion in which it carries its hook across to the listener. Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, shred, chorus, end — it’s pretty straight-ahead in terms of structure, and though it has its own procession, “Dark Miracle” is a suitable companion piece, like weirder, more patient Danava on a trip of ’70s/’80s metallurgy. Catchy like Scorpions, it is.

It’s all part of a plan the Durham-based trio are unfolding. I won’t pretend to understand it; hell, on my first read of the press release below, I thought Occult Symmetry was a three-song full-length, so there’s my depth of knowledge for you. As you can see, it’s kind of cryptic, but whatever The Void Cycle might be, Occult Symmetry is positioned as a “prelude” to it, and what comes through clearly in these tracks is the ongoing growth and exploration being undertaken by the band. This is an evolutionary process playing out in their songwriting that’s audible across their releases to-date, and their willingness to revisit older material with a fresh emotion and perspective speaks to the open nature of their creativity that’s let them evolve in the first place. They have chased their sound to this point; I will not speculate where it might lead them from here, whether that’s a second album or not.

“Light Rider” premieres on the players below, audio and video, followed by more from the PR wire.

Please enjoy:

Voidward, “Light Rider” video premiere

Voidward, “Light Rider” track premiere

Hailing from Durham, NC, the mysterious Voidward embraces all that is heavy, wrangling relentless riffs against swirling rhythms through shimmering psychedelia. High concept/low brow guitar+bass+drum epics with vivid vocal melodies and harmonies.

‘Occult Symmetry’ is a fully realized composition, divided into two movements: Light Rider and Dark Miracle. Light Rider and Dark Miracle are two entities engaged in a timeless orbit throughout existence, forever compelled and eternally repulsed by the same desire: Completion in the presence of one another. The Void Cycle is an epic poem describing the culmination of The Void as we know it in the separation of LightRider and Dark Miracle. Occult Symmetry is the prelude to The Void Cycle.

Preceding Occult Symmetry, Voidward released The Plowman 11th Anniversary Edition including a special Desert Bloom edition!

This version of The Plowman is the second installment in the Voidward Macro-Single Series. This is a series of re-inventions on the theme of The Plowman from The knives EP, and when complete, 11 editions of the Plowman will be available through various formats. This is the 11th Anniversary Edition, made available for a limited time to commemorate the upcoming Micro-Album “Occult Symmetry”

The Plowman 11th Anniversary Edition is the response to the initial call of The Void. The mysteries of Occult Symmetry are ahead. The Plowman knows the way.

The Void is heavy, both as a concept and an entity. Voidward is the only way we can experience that heaviness in our current state of consciousness. Sound is the only medium we have access to that, like The Void, is both physical and metaphysical.

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Tags: Durham, North Carolina, Occult Symmetry, Voidward, Voidward Occult Symmetry

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 12th, 2025 at 9:39 am and is filed under audiObelisk. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.