Style: progressive death metal, technical death metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Black Crown Initiate, Rivers of Nihil, Allegaeon, Slugdge, Alluvial, Dyscarnate
Country: US-PA
Release date: 20 August 2026

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When I reviewed last year’s album from Subterranean Lava Dragon, I began by remarking on my consistent astonishment at the sheer number of progressive death metal bands that emerge from Pennsylvania. I thought there must be something in the water to produce so many musicians of such caliber, but in the time since I have learned the truth behind the scene. While they want you to think that Pennsylvania has an infinite supply of six-string virtuosos, a boundless bounty of bassists, and gargantuan gaggles of guttural vocalists, the dark truth is that Pennsylvania’s scene is actually just made up of fifteen dudes all forming different lineup permutations that rotate weekly. Much like the men in a gay threesome, Pennsylvanian death metal bands are used to sharing members, so while I was excited to see that one-album-wonder Minarchist was reforming as The Elysian Void with a lineup featuring members of Black Crown Initiate, Alustrium, and Subterranean Lava Dragon—and that a new album was on the way—I can hardly say that I was surprised.

For those familiar with Pennsylvanian prog death, the sound that The Elysian Void employs on A Fatal Conceit should be well-trod territory. The riffs are concise and melodic, employing every bit of tapping, sliding, and hammering one expects from the modern school of metal riffage, and the rhythm guitar tones are equally tight and focused, be they clean or distorted, delivering suitable heft with zero frills or unexpected texture. The bass, courtesy of Nick Shaw (who seems to be a common nucleation point for newly forming Pennsylvanian bands), delivers a stellar performance, supporting the album’s most crushing breakdowns, gentlest interludes, and proggiest escapades with his signature style of flashy yet undistracting bass writing. While the drums, programmed as they are, offer little beyond what one expects from the sub-genre, the vocals are a different story.

Alustrium harsh vocalist Jerry Martin delivers his usual array of powerful barks and growls, but it’s the clean vocals of primary songwriter and guitarist Connor McNamee that stand out. As soon as A Fatal Conceit begins, the listener is met with clean vocals that, through their starkly resonant timbre, immediately distinguish the album from the rest of the scene. Oddly delicate, they persist throughout the album, even going as far as to enlist an additional female clean vocalist for the finale, and while the cleans serve as the album’s most defining feature, they also serve as its largest misstep. While there are several contributing factors here, ranging from the trite melodies they employ to their unique tone, the simplest answer is that they never feel like they gel with the rest of the band and are instead a persistent burr in the album’s otherwise smooth surface. Thankfully, McNamee is able to redeem himself with his stellar leadwork.

From the tasteful licks of early tracks like “A Fatal Conceit” and “A Future Discarded” to the blistering lines of “Wilt and Wither” and the climactic sweeps and trills of “Last Light,” there isn’t a single guitar solo off A Fatal Conceit that I wasn’t incredibly enthused by on first listen, and my enjoyment has only persisted through repeat listens. Often relying on melodicism and subtle note choice, the leads buck the trend of overt flashiness in progressive death metal solos and deliver a much more memorable product as a result. Some tracks like “Sins of the Father” and “They All Bleed the Same” are carried almost wholly by their leadwork, making already strong tracks memorable.

On paper, A Fatal Conceit, with its modern riffage, stellar leads, mixed vocals, and poignant concept, is everything I want out of progressive death metal, but I can’t help but feel something is missing. For all the technical proficiency on display, the album rarely feels as though it is pushing beyond the boundaries of its influences, and its best ideas are too often surrounded by songwriting that feels competent alone. When they lock into a groove like on “Wilt and Wither” or “Last Light,” The Elysian Void demonstrate the chops to make something genuinely memorable. I just wish that more of A Fatal Conceit reached that same level. For fans of the modern Pennsylvanian prog death sound, there is plenty here to enjoy, but, much like the feeling one is left with after a gay threesome, I find myself wanting more.

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Recommended tracks: Wilt and Wither, Last Light
You may also like: Alustrium, Subterranean Lava Dragon, Burial in the Sky, Arkaik, Resuscitate, Denominate
Final verdict: 6/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: independent

The Elysian Void is:
– Nick Shaw (bass)
– Ethan McKenna (guitars)
– Jerry Martin (vocals)
– Connor McNamee (guitars, vocals)
With guests:
– Laura Sensenig Long (violin)
– Hannah Link-Fitzgerald (vocals)