Dvne – Voidkind

With their previous release Etemen Ænka, Scottish Dvne, not only released the strongest album of their career, but also one of the strongest albums of 2021. Their bland of Post and Progressive Metal as well as a fine dose of sludge, the band delivered an album that was captivating throughout, regardless if they were delivering colossal riffs and screams, melodic hooks or atmospheric passages.

The follow-up Voidkind continues down the same path and while one might’ve hope for more experimenting from such an eclectic band, when the result on Etemen Ænka was so strong and the album harvested so much praise from fans and critics alike, it makes sense to pick up where they left off.

Judging from the first single “Plērōma” it did seem that the band was set to explore the melodic side of their music some more, because that is one of the most approachable songs they have ever recorded. But one spin of the album, and it’s clear that the Scotts are exploring their entire palette on the album.

The album opens with punchy and busy “Summa Blasphemia” which is rather linear in its structure (well for a Dvne song, amyway) and intensity. As such, it feels like a rapid choke from the start until the end. There is a monotonous quality to it, yet the intensity provides throughout its +5 minute long-running time. The keyboard arrangements lift the song to almost uncomfortable intensity level. The epic follower “Elenora”, however, serves as a good representation of this band’s musical spectra and in fact is also a good representation of this album.

Throughout the album the band once again displays their effective use of push-and-pull dynamics within the songs and even more so within the context of the album. There is a more direct and immediate feel to the album, and the band most certainly infused more of that live performance feel this time around. Even the mellow parts have a more direct feel than they had on the previous albums.

The sound on the new album is less dense, which does make the music breathe some more, but when the massive sound of its predecessor was so well layered into a massive sonic explosion, one can’t help but wonder if that approach would also serve Voidkind well. That being said, the production is in general similar to the predecessor, but with more of that live performance sound. And it’s perhaps a matter of taste if you prefer that or the more elegant sound of its predecessor. What’s not up for debate is that Dvne have dialled up for intensity of this album.

The band once again tell an epic story with the album’s concept, and while the story is grand, it’s also relatable. Musically, the band tells the story that is just as colossal and overall, it’s truly being impressive how the band manages to balance the thin line between progressive intricacy and primal purity.

Etemen Ænka was a massive release, for modern progressive genre in general, and managing to follow it with an album that is equally strong is near-impossible. Dvne have, however, managed to do something that is almost as hard – they created a follow-up that is undoubtedly more than a worthy successor.

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