Predatory Void
Hometown: Ghent, Belgium
Album: Seven Keys to the Discomfort of Being, out April 21st via Century Media
RIYL: Offshoots. Self-Discovery. Live Music.
Much is going to be made of another offshoot of the Church of Ra, and the way that creative mastermind/guitarist Lennart Bossu crafts riffs and atmosphere absolutely serves as connective tissue to those bands, but there’s something distinct with Predatory Void. The blackened and hardcore aspects of those other bands are put to the forefront, and that feels like a reflection of the “predatory” part of your name. There’s a clear focus on two things key to the enjoyment of Seven Keys to the Discomfort of Being. This was a project designed with both the need to keep attention throughout an entire record and imbuing it with all the energy cultivated during the live show. Post-metal rarely feels this ferocious and frenetic while being as pensive and powerful as the rest of the Church of Ra. So when did Predatory Void go from a creative void to a fulfilled creation? Bossu answers:
“The thing that sparked [the band] was the pandemic: playing and writing music to fight off the void that was left by not having any shows or activity with any of my bands in the foreseeable future. At first I was just writing without a clear sense of direction, but after a while I noticed I had some songs that felt cohesive. But the true moment of feeling like this could be something valuable was when I first heard [vocalist] Lina [R.] sing to the music. We were at rehearsal and her voice was so powerful it really gave the rest of us chills.”
Lina R shares her thoughts: “To me it felt alive when we had our final lineup and had our rehearsal all together. The next moment when we were recording, and I was hearing the pre-mixed playbacks of the songs sitting next to Lennart and Tim thinking, ‘oh shit, it’s really happening!’ [laughs] I think Lennart did a great job curating the lineup for the band (even though I didn’t believe it first when he asked me to join, but here I am, take it or leave it!)”
Thematically, I love how honest and reflective the lyrics are. It seems to revolve around an inward journey of self-discovery and acceptance, as scary as that can be. What did you want to talk about with this record?
“I’m really glad that you saw that!” Lina R. replies. “That’s essentially the reflection of the ideas behind the lyrics. It is in fact a journey, with philosophical moments of self-reflection, disassociation, relapses in control and dealing with deep frustrations within ourselves and in the outside world. It is scary, but it’s also very soothing, taking a step towards the unknown that is actually you, has always been you, and will always be. I feel like it helps to see the world differently, more attentively and with much more care and empathy. So yeah, it’s navigating discomfort in all possible ways and learning to be at peace with having to be the imperfect but also the ultimate home for your own self.”
Photo courtesy of Diana Lungu.
