The Formative Years - The Faith and Void
Having covered Dischord Records and the significance of its high-quality releases in the context of this series before, it is high time to zero in on one of my all-time favourite releases not merely within the context of DC hardcore but Reagan-era music at large.
While The Faith and Void’s split 12” originally saw the light of day in 1982, it was not until eight years later that it appeared on my radar and has not lost relevance ever since.
Given The Faith’s faible for the first adaptors of late 1970s punk and the way they channelled their alchemy by infusing the known formulae with layers of directness and melodies, they won the prepubescent me over straight away and provided fertile ground for my appreciation for other Dischord bands to blossom and bloom.
However, what blew my mind and made caused causes tiny muscles near my hair follicles to contract and raise the hairs in my back was the chaotic and powerful fury that Void unleashed on their half of the 12”.
Name-wise inspired by a Black Sabbath album, Void was unlikely anything I had heard before: It was unique in that it was more metallic and aggressive without ever sounding prefabricated or contrived. It seemed informed by a purposefulness and naturally confronting yet life-affirming energy that other bands lacked.
The youthful effortlessness of the Void’s delivery paired with the fact that they covered lyrical matter that was very relevant to my frustrations of my teenage years aided immensely in their bursts of rage resonating with me instantaneously and sustainably.
Four decades after its original release, the The Faith / Void split 12”has stood the test of time with its immediacy and relevance having not diminished in the slightest.
