Review by Greg on July 17, 2024.

Poland isn't new to extreme metal groups, and I think I can avoid a lesson regarding such a well-known subject. What I didn't expect, among a sea of Terrordomes, Exuls and the like, was an outfit dedicating to the most ambitious fringes of thrash. Exist is a group of youngsters that saw an admirable debut album hit the shelves in recent times. In the Void We Last (2021) is yet another example of the space theme being, by now, the go-to topic for every thrash metal band wanting to detach themselves from the usual themes of war, politics, and beer, but I'm certainly not complaining about how basic, yet awesome the artwork really is. And it's only the tip of the (rather short) iceberg, trust me.

Opener 'Far Beyond the Light' proceeds to greet us into the Exist world, as a pretty standard speedy thrasher which however converts to extended shredding in its second half, but it still doesn't paint the complete picture. What it does, however, is presenting you the only aspects that could be perceived as 'flaws', such as the exceedingly sterile-sounding drums or the loud, but average, clean-ish vocals that have a hilariously thick accent (especially that heavy 'h' sound apparently every Eastern European vocalist suffers from), as well as a questionable English – but all of that shouldn't hinder the quality too much, however, as In the Void We Last only gets better as tracks go on. 'Chained' goes for a more tech approach with riffs and solos, but with a refrain that sounds taken straight from Darkest Hour fitting incredibly well, and the hard-hitting 'High as Fuck' only serves as a short, less serious detour before the true gems arrive, namely 'Our Seduction' and the title-track, where the Vektor influence you might have been waiting for shows in full force. Tremolo parts complete with more than adequate shrieks are supported by the blasts of the not particularly flashy, but tasteful and varied enough to stand out, drummer. Both are still imbued with extended guitar parts, clearly showcasing the band's most shining talents, and blessed with physically intense refrains, though the former manages to do it all in a more condensed playing time, and with a somewhat Fog of War-esque fantastic solo. 'Excluded from Society' acts as the slap in the face to get back into reality, although its (unintentional?) nod to Demolition Hammer's 'Infectious Hospital Waste' kinda amused me.

I'd say there's just maybe too little of the good stuff, the album exceeding thirty minutes (of which, I suspect, fifteen were occupied by the guitars) only by virtue of the short, enigmatic outro 'The Vein'. But it's still incredible how In the Void We Last went by completely unnoticed, and I genuinely hope to hear something more from the guys sooner or later.

Rating: 9.1 out of 10