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DELVOID

Heavy Prog • Norway


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Delvoid biography
DELVOID is a Norwegian heavy prog band born out of instrumental collaborations between guitarist Erik HALBAKKEN and drummer Espen Th. GRANSETH. This core duo quickly added bassist Chad HAUGEN and Alex M. JONES-TYRIDAL and DELVOID was officially formed in September of 2008.

Since that time, they have had numerous line-up changes, but their current lineup consists of JONES-TYRIDAL on vocals and organ, HALBAKKEN on guitar, mandolin and backing vocals, GRANSETH on drums and other percussion, and Magnus FALKENBERG on the bass. In February 2011 the band recorded their full-length debut album (with then-bassist Jonas M. KJØLSTAD), which was released in October of that same year and titled "Delve."

Fans of TOOL and PORCUPINE TREE should find plenty of familiar territory in DELVOID's music, though the band also displays influences from alt-rock and post-rock, as well as progressive metal, giving them a very interesting sound.

A second album "Serene" will be released in September 2015.

Updated by rdtprog

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DELVOID discography


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DELVOID top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.60 | 5 ratings
Delve
2011
3.84 | 16 ratings
Serene
2015
3.91 | 18 ratings
Swarmlife
2022

DELVOID Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

DELVOID Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

DELVOID Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

DELVOID Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 2 ratings
Carrier
2015
3.00 | 1 ratings
Tribe
2015

DELVOID Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Swarmlife by DELVOID album cover Studio Album, 2022
3.91 | 18 ratings

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Swarmlife
Delvoid Heavy Prog

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

3 stars It's pretty much a given that when any particular band or artist figures out a new way to present any particular art form and has a modicum of success then a legion of others will follow in the wake to capitalize on the originality and groundbreaking efforts. Tool is one of the most recognized names of 90s alternative rock / metal meets progressive rock and rightfully so for having generated a totally new hybrid and releasing brilliant albums such as "Ænima" and "Lateralus." While this has opened the floodgates for all kinds of post-metal and progressive alt metal, there are some artists that are just too similar for comfort.

Enter DELVOID, a Norwegian from the Oslo area that was founded by guitarist Erik Halbakken and drummer Espen th. Granseth. Formed in 2008 the band hasn't exactly been productive and has only released this third album SWARMLIFE in 2022. This album features six tracks and is only about a half minute shy of an hour's worth of material. This band is a quartet with two guitars, bass, drums and vocals handled by guitarist Alex Delver. The band is known for its energetic live shows which has gotten it some notoriety in the crowded section of the alternative prog metal circuit.

Basically you could sum up DELVOID's sound as a mix of Tool (post-metal cyclical grooves and general alternative metal stylistic approach), Porcupine Tree (atmospheres and stellar production tricks which bring life to the smallest of tones and timbres) and Leprous (vocal style, oscillating guitar tricks and dramatic presentation). Add a bit of post-rock psychedelia and you basically get the formula for DELVOID's post-metal sound. With every track well over seven minutes the musical flow on SWARMLIFE allows long meandering bass grooves to drift on with changes in musical motifs offering dramatic Soundgarden-ish breakdowns.

The music does offer an interesting array of the aforementioned influences however i can never get past the fact that this is a band of influences and to my ears these elements don't gel together convincingly enough to win me over. In comparison to Tool which utilized a virtuosic drumming menagerie, DELVOID relies on a lazier sludge metal style of drumming with only occasional more energetic drumming that when it does occur sounds exactly like Tool. In comparison to Porcupine Tree, the production is golden but the compositions themselves lack the proper hooks for these extended sound effects to fully carry through. In comparison to Leprous, Delver's vocal abilities aren't as accomplished or as pleasing as they are too gritty to capture the sensual navigation possibilities of excellent prog metal and too clean and silky smooth for a convincing alt metal performance.

To be fair although i'm a huge Porcupine Tree and Leprous fan with a healthy admiration for much of Tool's output, i've never been keen on bands that emulate these excellent bands. For whatever reason the results always fall short and end up sounding like a cheap imitation rather than something that has been inspired by and taken to the next level. DELVOID's latest SWARMLIFE is just too earnest and derivative for my sensitive ears. I'm sure many will love this but just like similar bands like OS or Soen, DELVOID sounds too close to the source despite some noble efforts. Pretty much a personal block with this style of Tool inspired prog alt metal but this is all too much on the worship the past heroes mode for my true liking. Decently done, just not enjoyable in my world.

 Swarmlife by DELVOID album cover Studio Album, 2022
3.91 | 18 ratings

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Swarmlife
Delvoid Heavy Prog

Review by Rivertree
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Band Submissions

5 stars TURN THE LIGHT OFF AND LISTEN ... after a seven year gap this band from Oslo, Norway is offering a new creative statement that covers some really outstanding heavy prog tracks, yet also including slight leanings to the alternative rock genre. Erik Halbakken (guitar) and drummer Espen Granseth are the constants acting from the very start on. Since 2015 then in collaboration with Alex Delver, who is capable of contributing very expressive lead vocals. Finally, of course I should also note Magnus Andersen completing the quartet. He's managing the bass guitar work while acting on the same premium musicianship level. Keyboards respectively synths are not credited somewhere, but available anyhow, surely taking a backseat though.

So what, the goal is to let it rip in any case. But hey, this entirely comes within (my) reasonable limits, and with proper psychedelic ambience on top of it. And so Techtree is dedicated to prepare the floor, marks the suitable warm up due to a rather hypnotic repetitve flow. The heavier loaded Urras follows, though serving a formidable switch to a jazzy expression in between on several occasions. Next track Out Of Labour then comes with a strong jamming approach I'd say. Great inspiration! Initiating as well as finalizing in a sensitive, melancholic manner Collapsist is climbing up to perfect harmony regarding instruments and vocals. This is all merging into the ultimate highlight Third Body, the album's masterpiece, just to note.

Although including some harsh vocal way of expressing a flawlessly arranged sing along case in a special instance. The Master's House finally is relaxing the whole show a bit again, they are shutting down the machines so to say. Brillant, gripping, virtuoso, adventurous, highly melodic, within this genre boundaries it really doesn't get any better than that. And now superlatives are nearly running out ... 'Swarmlife' marks an irresistible performance featuring some references to the likes of Wolverine, Portal, Tool, PreHistoric Animals, and similiar. Please take your time (approximately one hour), don't forget to follow the initial instruction, and give it a chance in one go ...

 Serene by DELVOID album cover Studio Album, 2015
3.84 | 16 ratings

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Serene
Delvoid Heavy Prog

Review by Porcupineapple

5 stars 2015 was an amazing year for the Progrockers and that is why I did not expect to stumble upon such an amazing rarity once again, while catching up on a few things I missed out on last year. Yet it happened, and when you bump into such an amazing band known by absolutely no one, you just need to get the word out. So, this is Delvoid, hailing from the frosty Nordics again. Surprised?

Their second album, Serene, is not an easy listen. I actually started off by rating it 4 stars, but just until its complexity grew on me with each and every hit of the play button, eventually leaving me speechless with how varied and mature this album is, especially from a band of such young age. Calling themselves a follower of Sigur rós and Tool I certainly see why the latter one is mentioned in their biography and hearing this album I must throw in a bit of Aussie Prog too (like Karnivool or Caligula's horse) as well as a big fat pinch of ISIS, for how atmospheric and psychedelic (yet heavy!) they are. Be alarmed though, before you sit down to dwell into the world of Serene, that you are looking at an ambitious voyage clocking in at not less than 75 minutes. Lucky for the listener, there are no two consecutive songs on this album that would sound the same. After a bit of an intro you get a true taste of what this band is good at right away with Cocoon, which is a bad-ass track with a superslow build-up into some post-metal joy. When Alex Delver in the last one minute of the song starts screaming the refrain into the mic, it is exactly when you realize how strong they are in the vocal department and how much it adds to the end result along with their moderate, yet perfectly proportioned post-metal sound. Do not lean back on the chair though, because along comes one of the absolute highlights of the album with the next track, Steambreather. This song probably has one of the most explosive and cleverly built-up rock riffs I have ever heard and I do not believe I need to add much more to this. To make you at ease at this point, the next track, Transient, is a more laid-back one, probably reminding me of The Assassination of Jesse James soundtrack more than of anything else I have heard from this band before, thanks to the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra's guest strings that bring in some nice melodies. Other highlights of the album include the again more melodic, yet quite explosive Dissembler (great drum-work and vocals again), the totally Tool-sounding Carrier or the ambitious, 18-minute-long title track, peaking in a powerful, mega-psychedelic finale, just before they would wrap up the album with the outro.

To sum up, Delvoid's second album is one memorable journey, which is at times, and this is the only bad thing I can say about the album, overly simple in its riffs (the track Diffused e.g., or the first part of Carrier), however, if I look at how much these small build-ups are needed for their explosive crescendos to work, I can even turn a blind eye on this. And not even being able to picture how dynamic these guys might look on stage (I have not yet had the luck to see them), until I catch them live I will be doing nothing but looking forward to their next album, which will hopefully even bring a bit of well-deserved fame for them also, helping them find their way to a wider audience, which I am sure will inevitably happen, if they keep doing what they do. Five stars and a must-hear.

Thanks to Andy Webb for the artist addition.

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