Review

Review

Album review: nothing,nowhere – VOID ETERNAL

On his fifth album, nothing,nowhere harnesses the power of collaboration to celebrate the scene that made him.

Most artists can talk the talk, but few walk the walk quite like nothing,nowhere.

Real name Joe Mulherin, since first making his name on SoundCloud and Bandcamp back in 2015 the Vermont songwriter, singer, and guitarist has established himself as one of the modern alternative scene’s most curious creative minds. 

A constantly evolving sonic vessel of pure emotional expression – from DIY emo rap, to guitar-driven emo trap – each progression in nothing,nowhere’s sound has been driven by a deep, unshakeable connection to heavy music. Now, with album five, he’s paying a heavy, heartfelt tribute to the scenes, sounds, and friendships that made him. 

nothing,nowhere. - THIRST4VIOLENCE (FT. FREDDIE DREDD & SILVERSTEIN) [Official Video]

An artist who has never shied away from addressing the darker sides of life, whilst nothing,nowhere’s previous output has echoed the cries of someone searching for a way out, VOID ETERNAL sees him venturing further into the darkness than ever before. Pushing aside some of the lamenting sadness of 2021’s TRAUMA FACTORY in favour of a more focused aggression, riff-driven opener ‘ANX13TY’ channels the cathartic expression of nu-metal legends Linkin Park, before dropping into eleven of Mulherin’s most bitingly vicious and devilishly heavy songs to date.

Drawing upon the nu-metal, alt-pop, rap, and hard rock music he grew up with, for every drop of nostalgia on VOID ETERNAL, there’s a wave of fresh creative wonder. Recorded in nothing,nowhere’s self-built studio – a restored barn overlooking the woods of Vermont – for an album created mostly in isolation it radiates community, assisted by a star-studded tracklist with eight guest features.

Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz delivers a spoken-word bridge and a guttural screamed breakdown on ‘CYAN1DE’, Lorna Shore’s Will Ramos lends his deathcore screams to ‘TRAG3DY’, Buddy Nielsen of Senses Fail joins the party on pop-punk/hardcore cut ‘M1SERY_SYNDROME’, and post-hardcore legends Underøath deliver an unrelenting performance on the slow-building, explosive penultimate track ‘VEN0M’. 

Harnessing the power of collaboration whilst continuing an evolution into a new, heavier form, VOID ETERNAL is a game-changing record. A celebration of the scene that made him, the bands that inspired him, and the legacy that he’s now weaving – through vulnerability, connection and expression – nothing,nowhere is carrying the torch for alternative music.

Released: 31 March 2023
Label: Fuelled By Ramen
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On Tour: June 2023