Versatile – Les Litanies du Vide (Review)

This is debut album from Swiss industrial black metal band Versatile.

I did something unusual with this album – I went into it completely fresh, without hearing anything from them at all. I normally sample everything first to see if it’s my thing or not, but here a combination of the album cover and logo made me just want to listen to it, regardless. What did I find?

Versatile play industrial black metal, with Gothic atmosphere and a variety of ideas. Les Litanies du Vide spends 42 minutes blending industrial and black metal into songs that take influence from both. It’s dancefloor industrial crossed with symphonic black metal, and delivers music that has learned from both.

The songs have hooks and aren’t afraid to use them. There is snarled aggression, chunky riffing, rhythmic groove, and merciless drumming. There’s also symphonic grandeur, electronic texture, and expressive choruses.

To get a rough idea of Les Litanies du Vide, think of a mix of select parts of Aborym, Arcturus, Dimmu Borgir, Samael, and The Kovenant. Add to this elements that you might hear used by industrial rock/metal bands, and you’ll have a good starting point for Versatile’s sound. I can also hear a touch of blackened deathcore influences here and there – they’re not strong, and Versatile certainly aren’t a deathcore band at all, but on occasion I’m reminded of someone like Worm Shepherd in some of the heavier or harsher moments.

Versatile’s debut album is solid and enjoyable. Make sure you check this out if you’re a fan of industrial black metal.