Touching The Void
The term metalcore is such a widely used phrase it seems a touch annoying to the bands that play the music, but from the journalist’s point of view it is a necessary evil; like when thrash metal spread to the jungles of Brazil and created Sepultura. Metalcore has travelled across the Atlantic to Europe and on the mainland, Germany has acts like Caliban and Heaven Shall Burn on Lifeforce Records ripping up the stereo systems. Back home in Blighty we have the cult label In At The Deep End Records, home to spooky-core nutters Send More Paramedics and the barrier-bended Beecher and now home to The Nothing.
The Nothing are relative newcomers, being formed in winter 2003 from the members of Send More Paramedics and Labrat. Impressively notching up shows with established acts such as Zao, Darkest Hour and Shai Hulud, their sound is somewhat of a car crash collage of metal, punk and hardcore. "Coma Poems" is laden with the riffage of Slayer and the vocals of hardcore bands like Hatebreed and Walls Of Jericho, while songs tiles like "Coffin Sex" and "What do you expect us to do, rob a graveyard?" have the tongue and cheek humour of horror punks the Misfits. From start to finish, the Nothing creates frightening sound-scapes of focused aggression.
With talent like this there is great hope for Britain’s metal scene.