Reviews
Internal Void - Matricide (Dogstreet Records)
By Michael Ballue (Mike@hellridemusic.com)
July 4, 2004
http://www.hellridemusic.com/images1/HM-1241lg.jpg I've been a big fan of Internal Void for about 17 years now, and that means that they had a lot to live up to on this, their third full length, released on their own Dogstreet Records. They've lived up to it and more. Internal Void typify all that I love about the DC area doom tinged heavy rock scene, heaviness, uniqueness, great musicianship and seriously rocking. I say doom tinged because, while that element is there and they'd proudly claim Sabbath as an influence, there's so much more also. 70's hard rock, progressive, southern rock and blues all show up in the mix also, but all through a very, very heavy filter.
The strong points on this are so numerous it's amazing, from the stellar production (count on that when Chris Kozlowski and the Polar Bear Lair are involved) to the jaw dropping musicianship, to the consistent quality of the songwriting. There is not one dud song in the bunch, definitely "all killer no filler". If I had to pick favorites it would probably be the back to back punch of "Carried By Six" (charging out of the gate at a fully rocking thick riffed gallop, slowed down to a crushing doom midsection and then back up to a gallop) followed by "Window To Hell" (smashing the previous version on the Paul Chain split like a swinging sledgehammer).
Favorites will probably change though as all the tracks are awesome and show Internal Void's unique ability to throw more twists, turns and curves than your favorite roller coaster into a song, while still maintaining a solid cohesion to the song. It's a shame, but Internal Void will probably never be huge, they just demand too much from the listener. But for the serious lover of heaviness the rewards are immense. Kelly Carmichael's guitar work is consistently top notch, whether ripping out stunning solos or slashing riffs or bludgeoning doom, it's consistently top shelf. It's to the rhythm section's (Bass: Adam Heinzmann and Drums: Ronnie Kalimon (now aptly covered by Mike Smail)) great credit that even in the midst of a blinding solo by Kelly they still exert a serious pull on the ears, with their own quality work. No band should take lightly covering Internal Void material, for J.D. William's vocals are incredibly unique, a perfect fit for the material and I'm pretty sure impossible to mimic (especially the ability to cover a lot of different ground and make it all his).
Basically it doesn't get much better than this. I rarely hear bands this tight, they play together as if as one mind. This is a definite Top 5 album of this year for me. If you regularly visit this site, you need this without question. If you only buy single digit albums per year, this needs to be one of them. No excuses accepted.
Stoner Rock.com - Accolades for Matricide
Internal Void have absolutely mastered that "classic" 70s rock sound while sounding modern and fresh in today's Doom scene. Like the very best of early Pentagram meets Earthride. The musicianship throughout Matricide is phenomenal and the leads, specifically, are out-of-this-world good. If you like Doom or early 70s heavy rock then you really do not want to miss this one!
El Danno
CHAOS REALM - STUFF YOU SHOULD HEAR!!!
INTERNAL VOID – “Matricide” CD ’04 (Dogstreet, US) – I’ve got to admit, I was a little worried when I first read the title of the new INTERNAL VOID CD. I was hoping none of the band had gone ahead & done a Kurt Streubing (remember ‘80’s band NME?!) and killed their mother! Well, I’m glad to say that’s not the case, as the lyrics prove this, IV’s 3rd full-length effort to be a thoughtful consideration of Mother Earth. Great lyrics, however, are far from the only selling point on this baby, as “Matricide” is honestly one of the most cataclysmic releases in the recent history of heavy music. In fact, unbelievably, as great as the new Pentagram disc is (IV’s Kelly Carmichael – guitar & Adam Heinzmann – bass are also members of that band as well!), this is right there with it, if not better. When I first put this CD in & the heavy, gnarled & yet bluesy ‘70’s riffs of Carmichael blasted forth, supporting J.D. Williams’ throaty vox, I was damn happy. Then, however, this nearly 7+ minute opus broke wide open into it’s 2nd half & “ecstatic” didn’t even do my reaction justice! Here, the band launches into an instrumental section that sends me into visions of something like Hairy Chapter’s “Can’t Get Through.” Flowing through jazz-like time changes with the effort of an F1 driver taking corners, Heinzmann & Ronnie Kalimon (drums) lay down rhythm grooves that cook like a hot BBQ. And, on top of it Kelly Carmichael plasters a solo for the ages. People, this is just one of THOSE guitar solos. You know the kind that just builds & escalates & you simultaneously fear it will end but pray it won’t and somehow it DOES go on & on into such wonderful oblivion that you can’t wait to re-cue the track & play it again. Friends, that’s just the first song & it’s easily one of the monsters of the decade. Wildly, there are 2 more during the course of this slab-o-crush that equal or surpass it. Dig the coolness of “Next Time ‘Round,” which starts out with a vintage, upbeat rock & boogie vibe, then suddenly, midway through, morphs into a devastating acoustic section that sees the faces of Bourge & Shelley peaking ‘round the corner. And where do I even start to talk about the majestic closer that is the 8 ½ minute “What The King Bought?” I’d been fortunate enough to see VOID deliver this whopper live a couple times and now to hear it resplendent in this killer mix is a spectacular thing to behold! Man! But you know the really crazy thing is, I’ve only discussed 3 songs on “Matricide” & it’s not like the others are anything close to chopped liver. You talk about “Sad Wings Of Destiny” and sure, the first things that come up are “Victim Of Changes” & “Dreamer Deceiver.” But there’s also plenty “Tyrants,” “Genocides” and “Rippers” lurking around. Same deal here. Tracks like “Garried By Six,” “Heroes, Enemies & Earth” and the crushing 7 min “Window To Hell” stomp ass with a royal authority, Carmichael’s guitar firing like a blues-drenched acid tractor while the Heinzmann & Kalimon furnace churns below & Williams’ vocals carry both melody and a doom/punk ethic that speaks “real.” How much ass does this SOB kick? Well, as a late ‘70’s Judas Priest advertisement once said, “Matricide” is “hard enough to rock your mother!” An utterly mandatory purchase.
Ray Dorsey
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