Often associated most closely with sludge metal, the state of Louisiana is not without its share of straight up stoner bands either, though most of them are non-household names like Vermilion Whiskey, Boudain and the short-lived Fall from Grace, which featured former Exhorder guitarist Jay Ceravolo. Lafayette quartet Forming the Void stake their claim as the pre-eminent stoner / doom band from the state with their second effort, Relic, a sterling collection of hook-laden riffs and clean vocals out of the Baroness / Sword school.
Lengthy tunes with lots of catchy riffs and basic, straightforward songwriting are the order of the day here: songs like "Relic" and "Endless Road" ooze with a breezy, effortless classic rock feel, updated of course with de rigueur fuzzball guitars. There is little-to-no variation in tempo or approach, but with a mere seven tracks (plus a surprisingly effective update on Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir") the same-ness of the material doesn't have time to wear itself out on you. Relic is pretty much just a back-to-forward bang your head album, and fans of stoner rock are never short on appetite for no bullshit, meat and potatoes rock & roll… Forming the Void are more crowd-pleasers than innovators. Relic won't make you forget The Sword exist, but they may make you pine for a time when the latter just, y'know, cut the shit.
Score: 8/10
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