VOICE OF THE SOUL - Into Oblivion EP [Review]

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Label: Self-released

Released: August, 2011

Reviewer: Karim Tarek


Voice Of The Soul is a Kuwait-based, young, multicultural Melodic Death Metal quartet that arose back in 2007 as a cover band. Years passed by, and today the members are drastically separated, living on various spots on earth for college, while originating from four different countries from the first place.

The band is made up of Kareem Chehayeb (Guitars/Vocals), Monish Shringi (Guitars), Ahmed Al-Zubaidi (Bass Guitar), and the freshman member, Rana Rassouli (Drums).

They released their debut EP, entitled “Winds Of Apprehension” in 2009, followed up by its peer, “Eyes Of Deceit” in 2010, and then, eventually, this year’s masterwork, “Into Oblivion.” They would have released their debut full-length this year if it wasn’t for their complicated circumstances, mainly living away from each other, but I, myself, think that releasing an EP instead and waiting up for the full-length and giving it good time is a smart decision given their remarkable progression and maturation through each of their releases.

“Into Oblivion” starts off with a brilliant classical piano/guitar solo opening, giving way to one of the grooviest tracks on the album, “Immolation,” which demonstrates Kareem’s vocal versatility, with him using different kinds of vocal styles that perfectly fit the groove. It would appear to you from the very first listen that the band has become more consistent and more determined on delivering sheer Melodic Death Metal tunes rather than having multiple styles, and that they discontinued the experimentation that was clearly present on “Eyes Of Deceit,” although the latter didn’t actually affect the “ordinary” Voice Of The Soul sound.


I really admired all the guitar work on “
Into Oblivion;” riffs came groovy and consistent and sounded like a veteran, mid-aged Melodic Death Metal band, which should make you surprised to know that the average age of Voice Of The Soul’s members is 19 or 20! Solos came very well-picked and never overplayed; most of them sounded optimum and well-fitted, although I wish some of them were a little longer. Rest of the instrumentation was nothing out of the average, maintaining the very consistent sound throughout the whole album and giving way to the vintage guitar work to surface and emerge.

Overall, Voice Of The Soul is a young Melodic Death Metal band that is supposed to earn your everlasting support as the simplest way of paying them off for their sincere devotion and steadfastness towards their music, and although the four of them live away from each other most of the time and meet up only on a couple of occasions every year, they released three EPs in three years, which is indicative of the band’s productivity and ability to create. You know we could all name a dozen of bands of which the members live in the same country, yet not having Voice Of The Soul’s serious enthusiasm, willfulness, and eagerness towards their music. They’re one of the most endeavoring and hard-working bands in the Middle East, and I expect them to end up being something “big” in a short period of time.

Highlights: Cast Away In Betrayal, Immolation.





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