Void Of Vision “What I’ll Leave Behind”
It’s not often an album starts with what could be a breakdown however a breakdown in itself is hauntingly appropriate on this album.
For this is Void Of Vision’s fourth album What I’ll Leave Behind. An album that goes deep into Jack bergin’s brain, deeper into his heart and further again into his soul, and pours it all out. Brutal, raw, emotive, gut wrenching despair and confusion. No thought is left off the page and those lyrics are sensationally captured in a musically refined album that is sharpened into a silver bullet that lingers as an option for Bergin to use.
From start to finish, this is an extraordinary album. Extraordinary in that the music is full of breakdowns, great choruses, sonically aggressive and fast paced. Every song absolutely slams and to be honest, every song could be a live favourite.
Extraordinary in the story that is told so directly confronting. It is about Bergin on the journey from finding out about his illness, the challenge of managing that in the public eye, his operation, his recovery, his feelings of shallowness and his guilt at imposing on the world before reinvention. We are listening to not only Bergin’s diary of thoughts but also his emotions brutally exposed.
The album is extraordinary in that combining these short three minutes songs full of vibrancy and energy with at times heartbreaking lyrics, the album is wall to wall brilliant. I literally cannot find a bad track on it.
The album tells this autobiographical journey within three parts, the initial diagnosis and dealing with it are the first four songs, the operation and recovery goes from track five and finishing with the evolution on track ten.
Opener Oblivion has that breakdown as a riff and is an intense start to where this is going. Blood For Blood rocks as Bergin’s struggles with how far he – and others – will let him kill himself for a quick buck.
Supernova begins the descent with a damn catchy chorus as anger sets melts into the industrial dance vibe of Neurotic and the existential crisis of Bergin’s life.
Gamma Knife is a nod to the operation itself and the ethereal Beautiful Things may be lighter in sound however is the first steps recovery with the impending guilt to come as he strives to live.
Empty moves into the guilt stage with lyrics such as ‘how could you love such a mess like me’ while the music frantically tears your speakers apart. Midnight Sweat has Bergin wondering why people stay with cries of ‘I can’t do this on my own’. Sonically though both these songs are not self pitying ballads, they are aggressive stomping crushing metalcore classics. Extraordinary once again.
The album finishes with the first single released Angel Of Darkness. A tale of acceptance of the issue and creating a character that can take the public persona to relieve pressure on the private person. Musically and visually, it’s almost a celebration track, a tale of freedom and acceptance. Now it’s time to take on the world.
You really have to listen to this album because only one word does it justice. Extraordinary.
Album Review By Iain McCallum
