Voidceremony – Abditum (Review)

This is the second album from US death metallers Voidceremony.

Following on 2023’s enjoyable Threads of Unknowing, Abditum contains 30 minutes of complex technical death metal wizardry. As much as I liked that last record, this new one is a step up for Voidceremony.

Abditum provides us with a scaled back version of Voidceremony in some ways, but absolutely not in others. This album has more tracks than its predecessor, but they’re generally shorter, and the record as a whole has a reduced running time that reflects this. The entire album is completely packed with Stuff Going On, (and it’s all really damn good stuff too).

What Abditum lacks in duration it more than makes up for in flair. Across the album there is a wealth of content available to be hungrily devoured by fans of dizzying complexity. Progressive flourishes and jazz stylings imbue the music with character, while Voidceremony’s skill allows them to show off, while still maintaining the entertainment levels. The band know how to bloody well RIFF too.

Every part of Abditum feels extremely considered, overly so probably, although somewhat paradoxically it also feels almost freestyle in some areas. The results speak for themselves, regardless. Three of the nine tracks are not songs, but an intro, interlude, or outro. Normally this is a Very Bad Thing, but even these usually pointless filler tracks actually add to the greater whole, making Abditum a rarefied experience for sure.

Voidceremony have presented us with a surprisingly captivating and compelling version of their death metal insanity. It’s tech death, recognisably so, but manages to do its own thing within this crowded style. Merging technical, progressive, jazzy influences into something with a potent voice like this is not easy, yet Voidceremony have accomplished just that. I didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as if did, but it’s a really satisfying, enjoyable listen.

Very highly recommended.