Style: thrash metal, progressive metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Coroner, Death, Nevermore
Country: United States
Release date: 27 February 2026

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Want a sure-fire way to blend in among thrash releases these days—or, really, the metal scene at large? Add the word ‘void’ to your band or album name. Seriously, the term has become ubiquitous. And I get it, the idea of complete nothingness is incredibly metal. But surely we’re ready for something other than a record adorned with a dark, sci-fi-styled cover and the word ‘void’ in some fashion or another?

Nope, or at least I’m not ready yet. Thrash is cool, and voids are cool—case closed. Let’s add another void-related album to my pile.¹ The latest release from Florida’s proggy thrash act Announce the Apocalypse, plainly but emphatically titled VOID, continues the narrative of their last album, which wasn’t exactly a hit around here. This time around, the band cut the melodrama and spoken word that plagued their previous record and kept things concise. Does this tightened musical focus make VOID stand out among its abyssal cohort? Or is it, too, fit to be tossed into the voi… forget it. 

Put on your bullet belt and flip up the bill of your Suicidal cap, because VOID is—ironically—full of thrashy riffs. After a spooky, ambient opener, “Final Destination?” appears to pose a question to the listener, but instead bludgeons them with big guitars. Tight, winding patterns give way to a simplified, stomping rhythm as guitarist-vocalist Dominic Ryan Gabriel snarls with vigor. I’m already reaching for a tepid PBR! Across the record, those same snarls sit atop riffs pulled from an elevated thrash playbook: beefy tremolos in “Her Remains”; burly, simple-yet-effective eighth notes to start “Live to Forget”; and bouncy, energetic triplets that switch up the rhythm in the second half of the verse in “Waiting for Daylight,” to pick out a few examples. The drums tend to keep the pace high and do their job without much stylistic flair, and plenty of well-played, if somewhat standard guitar leads and solos surface amidst the carnage. The fretless bass performance from Shawn Loureiro, however, is the highlight—with a nice, meaty tone, Loureiro is audible and active in each track, supplying plenty of ear-grabbing flourishes.

As sharp and polished as VOID may be, nothing about the record is particularly noteworthy or innovative. Rather than build on ideas and take some compositional left turns to earn the ‘progressive’ tag the band advertise, they’re content to keep the songs compact. And this is ultimately VOID’s biggest limitation. Announce the Apocalypse tend to repeat a riff right up to the point of tolerance; then, instead of morphing or reworking the riff, the band invariably toss some basic harmonization or a lead on top and continue the repetition. It all feels a bit too formulaic—even we meatheads in the pit quickly begin losing steam. 

Compounding this issue is Announce the Apocalypse’s approach to structuring the songs. Once a riff has been repeated past its quota, frequently another one takes its place without much of a transition, and similarly has the life squeezed out of it. Add in some recycled verses and choruses and a one-tone vocal performance, and it’s easy to find myself zoning out, gazing at the wall as I mindlessly hold that PBR I grabbed excitedly at the start. Fortunately, a break in the monotony finally arrives with the nine-minute closer, “Wake, Nefaricon.” Nearly twice as long as any other cut—and about twice as adventurous—the track features a bridge built of clean guitars and soloing bass, uncharacteristically strong melodies developed over several passages, and, more generally, compositional and textural change-ups not heard elsewhere. Too little too late, perhaps, but “Wake, Nefaricon” hints at a more interesting direction Announce the Apocalypse’s songwriting could take in the future. 

Another day, another VOID—and one that’s not a whole lot more interesting than its name. Still, the performances are tight, and Announce the Apocalypse string together enough solid riffs, leads, and bass growls to make the record worth a spin for the battle-jacketed fans of modern thrash, even if it requires a tolerance for monotony. Me? Well, I’m nothing if not predictable—I’ll surely pick up another chasmic-titled album soon and see you all right back here.

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Recommended tracks: Wake, Nefaricon; Final Destination?
You may also like: Polaris Experience, Ursawrath, Cryptosis, Xoth, Jester Majesty
Final verdict: 5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Independent

Announce the Apocalypse is:
– Dominic Ryan Gabriel (guitars, vocals)
– Kelly Byrnes (guitars)
– Shawn Loureiro (bass)
– Adrian Baptist (drums)

1. In the last year or so, almost 10% of my reviews have been of bands or albums containing the word ‘void’ in some way or another. ↩︎