Release Date May 8th, 2026
Format Digital/Vinyl
Genre Dissonant Blackened Death Metal
Origin USA
Hailing from the rain-soaked muck of the Pacific Northwest, Voidthrone crafts dissonant blackened death metal that is as belligerent as it is meticulously arranged. Intentionally disorienting and feral, their unconventional music has evolved from the raw "Spiritual War Tactics" (2016) and the avant-garde churn of "Kur" (2018) to the sharpened, atmospheric density of 2022’s "Metaphysical Degradation."
Voidthrone is back to wreck your equilibrium with "Dreaming Rat", and honestly, it sounds like they’ve spent the last few years marinating in pure spite. This record ditches the hazy fog of their older stuff for a mix that is front-and-center, making every jagged riff feel like a serrated blade across the eardrums. It’s a dirty, high-tension trip through a solar system that’s basically a cosmic dumpster fire, and the band sounds like they’re having a blast watching the whole thing go up in flames.
Zhenya Frolov is absolutely unhinged on the mic here. The dude isn't just singing; he's retching and howling through "Homeless Animal" and "Ren Omega" like a man possessed by a parasite. The vocal range goes from deep-sea death metal grunts to those piercing black metal shrieks that make your hair stand up. It’s the kind of performance that makes you wonder if he needed a throat transplant once the recording sessions finally wrapped up.
The musicianship is a total mind-trip, especially with the weirdo additions of the vibraslap, spoons, and even an otamatone. You’d think that would make it a circus, but instead, it just adds to the general feeling of being trapped in a collapsing civilization. "Bergen" and "First Blood" show off a rhythm section that is completely locked in, delivering a frenetic energy that never lets up. The fretless bass work adds a greasy, sliding layer to the music that makes the whole experience feel even more nauseating in the best way possible.
By the time you hit the final stretch with "The Dying Squid" and "Worm Spiral", the vibe gets increasingly lonely and extinguished. The songs are mean, fast, and packed with enough dissonance to make your head spin. It’s clear these guys aren't interested in making friends or writing a radio hit; they’re just here to document the heat death of the universe with a soundtrack that’s as sharp as a razor.
"Dreaming Rat" is a nasty, relentless ride that rewards anyone brave enough to dive into its triptych of misery. If you want something that sounds like the planet is finally giving up, this is it. It’s a frantic, trenchant display of blackened death metal that leaves you feeling appropriately exhausted and spiritually drained. Voidthrone has delivered a record that is closer and meaner than anything they’ve done before, proving they are still the masters of making everything feel fundamentally wrong.
Score: 7.0
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