When up and coming thrashers Void took the stage last Thursday at this year’s edition of the Blades of Steel Metalfest, they were counting down the minutes to the release of their sophomore album, Forbidden Morals. 19 year old frontman Jackson Davenport teased the album as “a step up” from their already celebrated debut, 2023’s Horrors of Reality, “in every way imaginable”. Now those are some pretty big words, as Horrors was widely hailed upon its release, with many even branding these thrashing youngsters as the second coming of old school Annihilator. This unique approach to classic thrash, coupled with an extremely theatrical stage presence and youthful energy, has resulted in a meteoric rise to say the least.
I’ve been spinning Horrors for the better part of a year now, so I’m more than familiar with its musical contents. As for Forbidden Morals, I gave it a cursory listen on the way home from the aforementioned Blades of Steel, followed by a second, more in depth spin later on this past Labor Day weekend. While I’m sure Forbidden Morals will continue to reveal even more intricacies and details in the weeks and months to follow, I can safely say upon just two listens that Davenport’s assertion is correct: Forbidden Morals IS a step up from Horrors of Reality.
Whereas Horrors was the sound of angsty teenage headbangers hellbent on unleashing raw and violent thrashing (Nothing wrong with that!), Forbidden Morals is a much more structured, progressive, and ambitious release. The technical and traditional aspects of its predecessor is doubled down upon here, resulting in an album that is, again, more Annihilator than anything Annihilator has released since 1990. There are no shortage of vicious, neck-snapping thrashers abound. Fiery ragers like the title track and “Gateways of Stone” teeter on Dark Angel caliber aggression. However, as Forbidden Morals unfolds, it becomes apparent that brute force is not the M.O. of this release.
Melodic tech thrash forays like “Judas Cradle”, “Apparition”, and “Return of the Phantom” (the band’s current “hit single”) prioritize wonky guitar solos, earworm hooks, and the unpredictable range of Davenport, which really gives this album an even deeper sense of character. While Davenport can spit and snarl with the best of yesteryear’s thrash titans, he can also project drama and emotion akin to King Diamond, Geoff Tate, and the late Warrel Dane. These leanings are showcased on the unexpected ballad, “By Silver Light” (The best Sanctuary song that never was?), and the closing epic, “Beneath… Lives the Impaler”. This 10+ minute suite was a real head-spinner even for me, and I love a good prog voyage! Like any great cliffhanger, I’m left curious as to if and how Void will expand upon this direction in the future.
Armed with virtuosic performances, old school production, picturesque lyricism, and a wide array of classic metal sounds, Void have crafted a true thrash metal monolith in Forbidden Morals. It’s albums like this that put me in my place whenever I type something to the extent of, “How much ground can be broken in thrash metal in the ’20s?”, which I’m sure you can find somewhere if you dig deep enough through this webzine’s archives. Instead, you should put that same effort into digging deep through Forbidden Morals, or face the wrath of the impaler!
8 out of 10
Label: Shadow Kingdom Records
Genre: Thrash Metal
For fans of: Annihilator, Forbidden, Sanctuary