Golden Void - Golden Void

While some debut albums come with a certain rough-and-ready charm others arrive fully formed and brimming with confidence; Golden Voids' debut definitely falls into the latter category. Thrill Jockey's latest act is a four-piece rock band led by guitarist Isaiah Mitchell; the band are a fairly different proposition to the Hendrix-in-overdrive experimental sounds of Mitchell's other band, Earthless. Golden Void condense their influences into more digestible rock-nuggets, favouring songwriting over wild experimentation. The songs on Golden Void definitely owe something to bands like Black Sabbath but equally align themselves with more contemporary bands that have fallen under the 'classic rock' spell; bands like Black Mountain, Jex Thoth and Comets on Fire.

The songs are fairly apocalyptic at times; opening track 'Act of Invading' talks about those that would, "exterminate all those that are different…" This lyrical darkness is perfectly balanced with the sheer, old-school thrills of the music and Mitchell's signature squalling solos that will undoubtedly have you reaching for your air-guitar.

Other highlights include the urgent psych-rock of 'Virtue' that finds cascading drums and raw guitars pitched against Mitchell's Ozzy worthy vocals; "Blessings upon you, fire from the heavens come rain down…" Closing track 'Atlantis' initially finds the band in a meditative mood as harmonies drift slowly in, the guitars gradually build as Mitchell sings mantra like, "I see the storm it comes". Mitchells' solo crashes in about halfway through; the apocalypse is starting to sound fairly enticing.

Golden Void sounds like a 'classic rock' album in many ways and certainly isn't preoccupied with trying to sound new. Yet much like Black Mountain, Golden Void manage to filter their seventies-rock influences through their own unique vision; the result being an album that's both comfortably familiar and thrillingly unexpected. Golden Void have delivered an album steeped in influences and the scent of well-loved records but it's far from 'retro'; as opposed to a hollow imitation of past rock glories Golden Void translates as a passionate rock-record build for uncertain times.