Review by SzejkElRopa on August 28, 2026.

If we take the opening words of "In Gloom II", the third song on this album - "Existence is pointless (...)" - at face value, we get a very nihilistic point of view. Anything one could imagine - the number of people who will listen to this, your life, whether you will buy bread tomorrow - everything is simply deprived of sense. Sounds terrifying, doesn't it? That's at least what Malum tries to convey on this album - "From The Voids". If after reading these first sentences you think that this is not the newest concept in black metal - you are right, and if you are not a nihilist, bear with me, because there is more to uncover here.

From the first notes of the album, assuming you are familiar with them, it is easy to hear that these Norwegians took inspiration from Mgła. And don't get me wrong - there are hundreds, even thousands of bands that are, for example, trying to hold the infamous black flame of Dissection, paying homage to the first or second wave bands from the 80s or 90s, resurrecting the spirit of the old thrash metal bands, and the list goes on. Not everything has to be original, and it's almost impossible to make something that hasn't been played. But here, I think, the inspiration outdoes Malum's own identity. The first notes of "Stare Into Darkness", the opener, sound as if they were taken from "Exercises In Futility I". Fortunately, the album isn't a total ripoff, but still, it's quite hard to split what belongs to Malum and what to Mgła. That impression can originate from the fact that I haven't heard any other releases by this band.

However, if we set aside those eternal comparisons, we get a pretty nice bunch of atmospheric, emotive music. For instance, "Ignorance Made Bliss" boasts a slow, dark riff lingering through the entire song, alongside furious, raw vocals; it is a very good song on its own, conveying the sinister atmosphere to the listener. Other songs are quite similar - they are pretty simple in nature, with few riffs driving them as well as quite obvious tempo changes. In "In Gloom II", especially worth noticing is the fast-paced section with a more melodic riff, because it is especially memorable. The album alternates between mid-paced and faster moments, maintaining a suitable balance between aggression and atmosphere. Melancholic passages, such as the one close to the end in "Hollow", take turns with more aggressive ones, which evoke feelings of hopelessness and emptiness. Lastly, I'd like to point out the closing in the titular track, because it summarises the whole nihilistic atmosphere created by the album.

One of the elements that I especially liked was the backing vocals, because they made the whole album's impression more powerful. While I cannot complain about the lead vocalist, the backing ones gave a lot of substance to this album. The riffs weren't particularly technical or highly melodic, but were memorable enough to enhance the atmosphere. It could be heard that they were inspired by Mgła, I believe more by "Age Of Excuse", but not blatantly stolen, as far as I can say. The drumwork was solid enough to drive the album, although it wasn't particularly technical. It still worked, but I wish there was more "punch" to it so the album would be more powerful.

So, that's the time for the final verdict. Is it a blatant copy that deserves 0% and a throw into the trash? Absolutely not. Is it a great, original album that I'd play all day if I could? Also, no. It was a solid, enjoyable piece of black metal, and I can recommend it to those who don't care about who took what from whom and who did not. "From The Voids" doesn't lack enjoyable elements, but it simply isn't the album that will find its place on the top of my list. Therefore, I believe a fair score is 7/10. Not everything we eat, read, or see is new, eye-opening, or original, so why bother with music? There is beauty in the routine, too, and maybe that's why albums like these are made.

Rating: 7 out of 10