Review by Saxy S for VoidCeremony - Threads of Unknowing (2023)

20 Buck Spin has become a record label that I tend to explore with mild trepidation. While I cannot deny that they consistently distribute solid modern metal bands with an old school approach, much of it has started to become stale. Many of the labels death metal records have very similar tropes to them that cannot be overlooked and it does make much of their recent output a lot less interesting than if I was listening to it for the first time. Case in point, VoidCeremony. While much further towards the technical side of death metal than a band like Tomb Mold, something about the production of the record cannot help but make some very clear parallels.

Perhaps it comes through in the compositions, which are typically well done, but also rely heavily on played out death metal tropes; such as guitar pinch harmonics, whiplash tempo/style changes and Cookie Monster vocals. These are not necessarily bad on their own, but when put together, they give Threads of Unknowing a sense of comfort and familiarity that I don't think VoidCeremony would want. The album does have a heavy emphasis on bass leads instead of simply doubling the guitar riffs, which I certainly approve of. If there is anything that will make this album stand out in comparison to its label companions, it will be this. Having a technical death metal band such as VoidCeremony incorporate Ne Obliviscaris type polyphony into their music is a welcome treat. The closing track is also quite interesting as well. Even though it does suffer a bit from tempo/style whiplash, VoidCeremony have done a good job of creating a progressive metal epic that stays the course feels like a completed idea instead of a fragmented piecemeal. 

Of course these bass lines would not as focal to the album as it is if the production was lousy. And while the guitars do have some great chunk to them, they never feel overpowering. In fact, I would say that the main guitar riffing is almost secondary to the bass lines. The band does find room to fit in a couple of blistering guitar solos throughout the album as well and they do a great job of peaking a listeners interest by having that drastic change in timbre without losing any of the song/album momentum. The vocals are... well they are very gargled and take a lot of pointers from Tomb Mold and Tzompantli in that regard. These vocals just do not interest me and are the aspect that I think most casual listeners will pick up directly as a "20 Buck Spin trope". 

Threads of Unknowing is not a bad record, but I think it could have been more than what its trying to be. In the vein of progressive death metal, VoidCeremony have chops and decent influences to draw from, but in terms of its execution, it lacks character. This is by no fault of their own in my opinion, but perhaps VoidCeremony would benefit from digging into their progressive influence more; I could see this band taking a solid page out of In Mourning's playbook and do something really special. For now, keep this band on your radar if you like any style of progressive death metal.

Best Songs: Writhing in the Facade of Time, Abyssic Knowledge Bequeathed, Entropic Reflections Continuum