Void Expected Workshop: A Sonic Wasteland That Sticks With You
Alright, buckle up—this one’s gonna get weird. Void Expected Workshop by RID is the kind of album that doesn’t just sit in your playlist; it invades your brain like a glitchy parasite you can’t shake off. Released in 2017 under Divergent Series (props to them for taking this wild ride), this record smashes together Electronic, Rock, Sludge Metal, Noise, Black Metal, and Industrial into something both ugly and beautiful. It’s like someone took all your favorite genres, threw ‘em in a blender, hit puree, and then poured the mess onto a battlefield. And honestly? I’m here for it.
Let’s talk tracks. First up, there’s “No Disciple.” This thing hits hard right outta the gate with its jagged riffs and industrial noise screeches—it feels less like listening to music and more like being chased through an abandoned factory by malfunctioning robots. The way the song builds tension without ever fully resolving? Chills. Like, what even is that breakdown halfway through? Is it a guitar solo? A synth meltdown? Your guess is as good as mine, but damn if it doesn’t stick with you. Every time I hear those distorted shrieks, I feel like I’ve stumbled into some dystopian fever dream. Love it.
Then there’s “Fault Tolerance,” which might be my personal fave. If “No Disciple” is chaos incarnate, this track is the cold, calculating machine behind the madness. It’s got this relentless beat that just grinds on and on, layered with these eerie atmospherics that sound like static from another dimension. There’s a moment around the two-minute mark where everything drops out except for this haunting drone—it’s so simple, yet it punches you right in the soul. By the end, when the feedback starts spiraling out of control, you’re left wondering whether you should applaud or scream. Probably both.
The rest of the album follows suit: “Increment” kicks things off with a bang, while “Dependency” lulls you into a false sense of security before ripping the rug out from under you. Tracks like “Austerity Commodity” and “Highest Demon” are brutal reminders that sludge and black metal vibes still have plenty of bite left. Oh, and shoutout to Noel Demello for mastering this beast—seriously, how do you even begin to tame something this chaotic?
One thing worth noting is the layout credit to Ghostsafe. Whoever they are, they nailed the aesthetic. The whole package screams DIY apocalypse, perfectly matching the raw, unhinged energy of the music itself. Kudos to RID for pulling together such a cohesive vision despite—or maybe because of—the utter sonic chaos within.
So yeah, Void Expected Workshop. It’s not for everyone. Some folks will probably find it too abrasive, too messy, too… much. But isn’t that the point? Life’s a jumbled-up mess most days anyway, so why shouldn’t our music reflect that? Listening to this album feels like staring into the void—and realizing the void stares back, wearing a spiked leather jacket and holding a busted synthesizer.
Final thought: If aliens ever invade Earth and ask us to explain human creativity, we should probably just hand them a copy of this album. They’d either leave us alone forever or start headbanging uncontrollably. Either way, win-win.
