ALBUM REVIEW: The Voidz’s ‘Like All Before You’

Experimental rock group The Voidz released their third studio album, a mixed genre creation that contemplates a range of topics in their signature fashion.

On Sept. 20, the rock band known as The Voidz released their third album “Like All Before You,” giving fans a glimpse of their perspective on society.

The Voidz, an experimental rock band from New York City known for their innovative and unorthodox combination of various genres such as psychedelic and garage rock. A band consisting of singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas (of The Strokes), guitarists Jeramy Gritter and Amir Yaghmai, bassist and keyboardist Jacob Bercovici, drummer Alex Carapetis and keyboardist Jeff Kite.

The band’s debut 12-track album “Tyranny” released in 2014 featuring singles “Human Sadness” and “Where No Eagles Fly”, the latter of which was featured in Grand Theft Auto V’s Kult FM radio station, also hosted by Casablancas. The album peaked at number 39 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and number two on the U.S. Billboard Alternative Albums.

The Voidz’s sophomore album, the 15-track “Virtue” released in 2018, features five singles. The album charted lower than “Tyranny” but received more favorable reviews from critics.

Additionally, The Voidz have previously worked with artists such as Grammy Award-winning electronic duo Daft Punk in 2013 and with indie rock artist Mac DeMarco in 2019, releasing two singles with each artist.

Their latest album, “Like All Before You” is a 10-track, 42-minute album and is significantly shorter than “Tyranny” and “Virtue,” which were both close to an hour in length. The album is essentially eight songs due to a near identical intro and outro titled “Overture” and “Walk Off (Outro),” respectively.

Early reviews of the album have been critical, with Casablancas seemingly doubling down on what differentiates The Voidz from The Strokes.

The Voidz offer a much more gritty and experimental sound than The Strokes’ garage-rock roots that took them to Grammy Awards. Themes of The Voidz’s work include artificial intelligence, divorce, spirituality and oppression, with all of these topics being covered in “Like All Before You.”

The album begins with the synthesizer-led “Overture,” with no lyrics and a simple chord progression building up suspense, sounding eerily similar to a song more fit for a funeral or another moment of heartbreak.

The following track, “Square Wave” opens with a groovy and chorus-heavy guitar and bass intro reminiscent of early 2020s indie rock before synthesizers more akin to an early 1980s classic rock song begin. Casablancas enters the song with heavy autotune that has become a staple of the band and discusses emptiness likely influenced by the singer’s 2019 divorce. The song is a beautiful look inside the troubled and vulnerable mind of Casablancas, feeling lost and as if his choices are irrelevant due to his failures.

“Prophecy of the Dragon” takes a complete turn from the previous song, opening with a metal riff that follows the track throughout the verses. Casablancas talks about his divorce again, discussing being unable to see his children grow up and being too busy as a result of the rockstar life he has been experiencing for over 20 years. The song flips between his vulnerability and his anger as he plays out his frustrations through the guitar.

“7 Horses” once again opens with a synthesizer and drum intro before Casablancas enters the song. Casablancas apologizes for not being the man that people think he is as he describes being dragged to Hell and staring down the barrel of a gun, drowning in his withheld emotion.

“Spectral Analysis” may be the album’s most depressing track, as Casablancas discusses suicide, abandonment and the pressure he feels to compel his fans. A piano and synthesizer plays a somber chord progression as Casablancas details the alienation and melancholic outlook that has likely been present throughout his life. This is my favorite song on the album due to the simplicity and beauty of the instrumental paired with the somber lyrics and is a very delightful contrast to the sometimes overly complicated sound of The Voidz.

“Flexorcist” is an upbeat funky song showcasing the poppier side of The Voidz’s sound as the lyrics discuss oppression, conformity and identity. The song comes off as a critique of our neoliberal society that expects us to follow society’s expectations, and how losing that freedom strips us of our individuality and power. I believe “Flexorcist” is the most political song on the album and definitely inspires self-reflection.

“Perserverance-1C2S” dips its toes in political and social topics but does not ever dive any deeper, instead opting to repeat the same lyrics throughout most of the song. Instrumentally, the song is solid, but I would place this song as the weakest of the eight main songs as it comes off closer to an interlude.

“All The Same” brings back the poppy side of The Voidz as Casablancas discusses how men in society value women’s bodies. The latter half of the song is more political, speaking about the aggressive nature of American politics and mainstream news using fearmongering to influence society. Despite the shift in topic, the song offers societal critiques through a catchy song.

The album’s final full song is “When Will the Time of These Bastards End,” featuring an R&B groove and critiques the longstanding issue of America’s involvement in the wars of other countries. Instrumentally, the song is a bit lacking, however the narration over the military in particular is insightful but overshadowed by the contrast in sound, especially when compared to the rest of the album and The Voidz’s previous work.

Overall, the album started to grow on me during the second time I listened to it. Initially, the heavy autotune on certain tracks overshadowed the instruments and I couldn’t distinguish the lyrics. After multiple listens and reading the lyrics as I listened, I was able to appreciate the album more for its narration and vulnerability while still being creative.

My favorite song is “Spectral Analysis” due to its simplistic beauty both lyrically and instrumentally. The Voidz will never be a band that appeals to everyone but that is what allows their creativity to truly flourish. The Voidz offer an experimental alternative to The Strokes while maintaining Julian’s simple but vulnerable songwriting.

To listen to the album, “Like All Things Before You” is currently out on all music streaming platforms.