The members of Golden Void have been connected musically off and on since they were teenagers. After playing in various bands together and apart throughout high school and the intervening years, Isaiah Mitchell (guitar/vocals, also of Earthless), Aaron Morgan (bass), and Justin Pinkerton (drums) coalesced as Golden Void after Mitchell’s move to the Bay Area in 2009. When the group realized they needed a keyboard player, the addition of Camilla Saufley-Mitchell seemed only natural. Listening to their self-titled debut album, the high level of musical kindredship that only comes from playing music together during those formative years is instantly apparent. In an age of the internet’s infinite mirror that rewards pointless novelty rather than substance, Golden Void has succeeded in creating a record that exists beyond bloggable tropes of the present and expands upon the traditions of the past.
Golden Void explores the dichotomy of destruction and devotion. On the galloping opener “Art of Invading,” Mitchell describes the destructive acts of the “invader,” over raw, fuzzy guitars and Pinkerton’s steady 6/8 groove. On closer “Atlantis” Mitchell sings about rising seas cleansing the earth of people and culture while displaying some of the most impressive, and chillingly calm, vocal harmonies on the record. Conversely, “Jetsun Dolma” examines devotion through the use of Tibetan Buddhism’s 21 Taras, enchanced by Saufly-Mitchell’s otherworldly keyboard. Throughout, the album is driven and lifted by the stellar guitar work of Isaiah Mitchell.
The album was recorded with Phil Manley at Lucky Cat Studios in San Francisco, and was recorded live to tape with few overdubs. It was mastered and cut from tape by Roger Seibal at SAE mastering. Although the songs drift into moody and dark territories, the prevailing sentiment is optimistic. Golden Void is a record of unpretentious, extremely well crafted, totally addictive rock and roll. Turn it up!
