It’s gritty, grungy, and gloomy. Australian industrial metal band No Names latest release titled “I Surrender To The Void As Of Now I Am The Void” is just that. Reminiscent of a cross between early 90’s grunge rock and industrial metal from the same era, this album literally sounds like a couple guys hammered it out in an abandoned manufacturing plant, and hated the entire experience. And that’s not a bad thing at all honestly. It works exceptionally well, and seems to be the overall theme of the album itself.
With eight tracks total, the first half of the album drags you through a doom filled void-like experience, constantly reassuring you that this is an introspective reflection of the blurred edges of suffering and demise. It hammers its way through with monotonous beats, rough guitars, and little respite from the depressive undertones created through its lyrics. To be clear, this is not a happy experience, and in my opinion was never intended to be.
The latter half of the album really shines for me though. It’s four remixes, all of completely different styles, and really showcases the diversity this band can create, both independently on their own, and when working with other artists. My personal favorite is “Fake Faith (Stalk Market Death Industrial Demix)”, and I feel this particular track really creates a soundscape vision of the void itself, through its use of samples and vocal distortion. It easily leads you into a trance like state, and highlights the disparity and meaningless existence of flirting with the idea of surrendering to the void itself.
This was such a unique listening experience that it’s really hard to adequately describe. If you’re into old school Ministry, garage bands, grunge rock, or straight industrial, there’s something to be enjoyed here. Available on virtually every streaming platform, as well as vinyl and even cassettes available in multiple colors, this latest No Names release through Machine Man Records is a solid and welcome addition to their discography. I surrendered to the void, will you?