#deadlycarnage — Public Fediverse posts

Does Void of Light refer to a source of luminescence, or is it shorthand for its total absence? The group might know something about the latter, hailing as they do from the northerly latitude of Glasgow, Scotland. Their musical medium—a sludgy, atmospheric post-metal—also reflects a dichotomous embodiment of light and dark: often crushingly heavy and thematically bleak, but also upliftingly melodic. Asymmetries—another nod to duality and imbalance—is a debut four years in the making, drawing together the fragments of brutality and reflective ambience from the preceding EPs into a bold statement on who Void of Light are. And decisive that statement certainly is.

Void of Light’s approach to post-metal is rich and dynamic, layering leaden riffing, melancholic melody, and flexible tempos around one another to augment the music’s ability to captivate. Strikingly, flatteringly akin to Deadly Carnage in the expert intermingling of delicacy and harshness (“Still the Night Skies”) and an ever-evolving rhythm, the album flows gracefully. Dips into The Ocean of steady, progressive builds, tangles with LLNN-levels of skull-bashing heaviness (“Mirrorings”), and even flirtation with black metal (“Ends,” “Mirrorings”) compliment a nuanced, emotional soundscape with heart and bite.

Asymmetries by Void of Light

The magnetism of Asymmetries is felt gradually and with progressive strength, like approaching a planet’s gravitational field. Things begin almost understatedly in “The Passing Hours,” with a loose, modulated melody and a steady onward crush that only hints at the depths to come. That is, before the final act gives the game away when soft singing gives way to a jubilant guitar solo over the rush of blackened percussion: a dramatic backdrop for the final reprise. These soaring, energetic guitar lines weave in and out across the record, communicating joy and bittersweet blueness as they variously dance (“Silver Mask,” “Ends”) and float (“The Passing Hours,” “Still the Night Skies”) over the comparative bluntness. Gentle (“The Passing Hours,” “Ends”) and impassioned (“Silver Mask,” “Still the Night Skies,” “Mirrorings”) cleans add still more layers of emotion as they move in pitch and volume with or in brilliant opposition to the instrumentation, and equally ardent screams (“Silver Mask,” “Still the Night Skies”). None of this would be half as stirring, however, were it not wrapped around the multidimensional rhythmic core that spills over from the percussion to riffs and vocals alike. Rippling fills and agile rolls thread texture upon which singing floats or screams rain down (“The Passing Hours,” “Mirrorings”). Frequent slides into snappy off-beats (“Silver Mask,” “Ends”) and impressively rich, cascading blackened tirades (“Ends,” “Still the Night Skies,” “Mirrorings”)—the kind you’d expect from Panopticon—intensify already incendiary peaks where aforementioned guitars dance or soar.

Asymmetries, as a name, can only be used complimentarily here; perhaps the worst that could be said is that the album might get even better as it progresses. If I had to be incredibly harsh, I would point to the oft-repeated pattern of songs lapsing midway into stripped-back plucking and singing before the reprise of heaviness. Even then, songs don’t sound the same, and the formula is an effective conduit for tension and emotion, formula though it may be. Really, though, Asymmetries feels ideally formed and structured to deliver the maximum impact as it is: the rhythms growing more fluid and restless, the layers of sung and screamed vocals more multiplicitous, and the returning spaces of poignant ambience serving to gradually dial up the pathos as well as the more tangible force of the riffs, drumbeats, and roars. If the ascendant singing in the final act of “Silver Mask” lifts you up, wait until “Still the Night Skies,” and the cascading multitracking on “Mirrorings”. If “The Passing Hours” jolts you into attention with its final forcefulness, wait until the sudden savagery that closes “Ends” and then how the following songs stack this ardour with that singing, and the consistently gorgeous waves of clear and hazy melody.

Asymmetries’ power was not instantly obvious, but with every listen its grip grew tighter and the sky around it lost its colours as they were drawn into the void. Void of Light effectively communicate a dichotomy between light and shadow in their sad, uplifting, harsh, fragile debut. And if this is where they’re starting from, then heads, hearts, and score-safety-counters everywhere will need to watch out in the future.

Rating: Great!
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Ripcord Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: April 3rd, 2026

Asira – As Ink in Water Review

By Killjoy

I get the sense that the members of Asira are particularly meticulous. The last time we heard from this post/prog group from Reading, UK was back in 2017. In his review of their debut album, Efference, El Cuervo asserted that Asira was on the cusp of being the next Big Deal. Just four months later, he decided that they already were, invoking Contrite Metal Guy powers to amend Efference’s score from 3.5 to 4.5 (a Big Deal, indeed!). Perhaps Asira felt some pressure, because they took their time to craft the best possible follow-up. As Ink in Water is an effervescent opus about the breadth and depth of human emotion, it was worth the wait.

One way that Asira describes their music is “gold-tinged black metal,”1 but I would be more inclined to call it black-tinged gold metal. As Ink in Water is resplendent in like manner to Deadly Carnage’s Endless Blue, both of which are buoyed by similarly soaring vocals. Jack Reynolds has some of the best cleans in the business, harmonizing neatly with Martin and Lydia Williams when the occasion calls for it. The smooth, invigorating guitars have carried over from Efference, particularly during the more tranquil moments, but most vestiges of blackgaze have evaporated. The remaining black metal influence on As Ink in Water comes when the vocals sometimes switch to sharp rasps. In less scrupulous hands, these opposites could have easily clashed unpleasantly.

Luckily, Asira has an incredibly strong mastery of the art of contrast. The verses of “Cauterise” are commanded by wild blast beats and furious growls, yet they willingly give way to the glowing, clean-sung choruses like the night yielding to the rising sun. Speaking of which, “In Sunrise” is, in my estimation, the crown jewel of As Ink in Water. While mainly consisting of bright guitar arpeggios and infectious melodies, the juxtaposition of Reynolds’ snarls and Lydia Williams’ soprano at the midpoint is chill-inducing. This polarity also exists between the individual songs; the fact that the aggression of “Cauterise” and the tenderness of “Clarity” can sound like they belong on the same record is a testament to Asira’s skill as songwriters.

It’s clear that Asira put a great deal of thought and care into the compositions of As Ink in Water. El Cuervo’s wish for less repetition and more variety in the quieter parts of Efference has been granted. No matter the intensity, the songs never stall or stop moving forward. Even those that appear unassuming on the surface manifest important details upon closer listening, such as the delicate bass grooves in “Clarity” or the deliberate arrangement of backing vocals in “Still.” These songs might require a bit more patience than the others, but they are just as important to the overall canvas of color. The only tracks that don’t add much are the twin interludes, “Descent” and “Ascent,” though at just one minute apiece, this is easy to forgive.

Asira has fashioned a truly unique and heartwarming work of art that defies easy description. As the title of As Ink in Water implies, the light and dark elements may seem disparate at first, but over time, they mix perfectly together. Asira set out to portray the universal human experiences of “anxiety, grief, fury, compassion, and healing,” all of which can easily be both heard and felt. I find myself emotionally invested in As Ink in Water to the point where multiple 11-minute songs seem to vanish in the blink of an eye. Although this year is getting late, I feel confident that this special record will stick with me into and beyond the next.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self-Release
Websites: asira.bandcamp.com | asira-band.com | facebook.com/asirauk
Releases Worldwide: November 14th, 2025

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