Forming The Void

Forming The Void
Forming The Void
	;
Background information
Origin	Lafayette, Louisiana
Genres	Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, Progressive Metal
Years active	2013 - 2023
Labels	Argonauta Records, Kosmik Artifactz, Ripple Music
Website	Forming The Void Official

Forming The Void are a doom metal band residing in Lafayette, Louisiana. Since 2013 this quartet has composed their own distinctive mix of doom with progressive rock, classic rock, sludge and even subtle elements of gothic rock and grunge. The band's distinctive low-end doom style is accentuated with lyrics of the deep cosmos and James Marshall's powerful voice. They have been compared to several acts in the doom scene such as Pallbearer, Ahab and Alice in Chains to scratch the surface. The band made a buzz in the underground circles with 2017's Relic and attained significant underground praise for the 2018 follow-up Rift.

To date Forming The Void have three studio albums and have toured throughout various parts of the United States, performing at marquee festivals in the doom and sludge scene and sharing the stage with many notable acts.

History[]

Forming The Void would be founded sometime in late 2013 by the quartet of Marshall, Khansa, Baker and Boyd. The band would compose a three-song EP and release it on 30 July 2014, followed by the groups first shows (The earliest known on 20 September 2014 with The Midnight Ghost Train).^[1] From there the band would begin to perform on a more regular basis in the Louisiana and Texas areas, eventually self-releasing a studio album entitled Skyward on 1 August 2015. By roughly 2016 the band began performing more frequent shows while working on a second studio album. Tracking would begin in the middle of July while finishing touches on their second album would be done in October.^[2]

Forming The Void would sign with Argonauta Records and release their second studio album Relic on 17 March 2017, featuring seven new songs and a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir". Relic would attain positive reviews from the likes of Metal Injection^[3] and Louder Sound among others.^[4] A release party for the CD edition of Relic would be held on 18 March 2017.^[5] From this point the band began doing short tours and performing more frequently, sharing the stage with the likes of Doomstress, Conan and Eyehategod just to name a few. By the end of the year the band would tour more cities, participate in the End Hip End It Music Festival^[6] and quickly begin work on a follow-up to Relic.

In March of the next year the band would participate in SXSW in a host of shows with Steak among many other stoner and doom bands while releasing a new single entitled To The Wolves. The band would work in short mini-tours surrounding appearances at Electric Funeral Fest, Descendants of Crom and Psycho Las Vegas. Working this time with Kozmik Artifactz, Rift would be released on 17 August 2018, topping The Doom Charts that month and attaining praise from a host of critics such as More Fuzz,^[7] Indy Metal Vault,^[8] Distorted Sound Mag,^[9] and Outlaws of the Sun^[10] just to name a few. Surrounding their appearances at Descendants of Crom and Doomed & Stoned Festival the band would tour the United States alongside Howling Giant.

2019 would see the band sharing the stage with the likes of Yawning Man, Mondo Generator^[11], Attila, Monolord and work in a tour with Kings Destroy in the Spring. The quartet would follow up with a tour alongside Year of The Cobra surrounding their appearance at The Maryland Doom Fest. The band would also have appearances at the Chicago and Ohio editions of Doomed & Stoned Festival. On 6 May 2019 the band would announce that they are set to appear at the 2020 edition of Red Crust Festival, their first appearance in Europe.^[12] In the following months the band would announce a full European tour alongside Spaceslug.

Following a February tour supporting the likes of Truckfighters and Church of Misery, Forming The Void would announce that their fourth album, Reverie would be set for an 8 May release via Ripple Music, with the first single "Trace The Omen" available for streaming.^[13]

On 12 September 2023 it would be announced that Forming The Void would be going on an indefinite hiatus.^[14]

FORMING_THE_VOID_-_"Three_Eyed_Gazelle"_OFFICIAL_VIDEO — FORMING THE VOID - "Three Eyed Gazelle" OFFICIAL VIDEO

Forming_the_Void_-_"Gravity"_(OFFICIAL_VIDEO) — Forming the Void - "Gravity" (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

FORMING_THE_VOID_-_"On_We_Sail"_(Official_Music_Video) — FORMING THE VOID - "On We Sail" (Official Music Video)

Discography[]

Studio Albums[]

Skyward (2015, Self-Released)
Relic (2017, Argonauta Records)
Rift (2018, Kozmik Artifactz)
Reverie (2020, Ripple Music)

Other Releases[]

Forming The Void (EP) (2014, Self-Released)
Forming The Void/Pyreship (Split with Pyreship) (2018, EndHipEndIt Record Co.)

Members[]

Current Members[]

James Marshall - Guitar, Vocals (2013 - Present)
Shadi Omar Al Khansa - Guitar (2013 - Present)
Luke Baker - Bass (2013 - Present)
Thomas Colley - Drums (2017 - Present)

Former Members[]

Jordan Boyd - Drums (2013 - 2017)

Tours[]

May 2017 Mini-Tour (2017)
November 2017 Mini-Tour (2017)^[15]
February 2018 Mini-Tour (2018)
SXSW Tour (With Steak) (2018)^[16]
Fall 2018 North American Tour (With Howling Giant) (2018)^[17]
Fantasma Nera North American Tour (With Kings Destroy, Gozu) (2019)^[18]
2019 North American Tour (With Year of The Cobra) (2019)^[19]
Void Ripper (With Witch Ripper) (2019)^[20]
25th Anniversary North American Tour (With Church of Misery, Truckfighters, Valley of the Sun, Black Wizard) (2020)^[21]
2020 European Tour (With Spaceslug) (2020)^[22]

External Links[]

References[]

[1] Forming The Void Facebook

[2] The Obelisk

[3] Metal Injection

[4] Louder Sound

[5] Forming The Void Facebook

[6] Forming The Void Facebook

[7] More Fuzz

[8] Indy Metal Vault

[9] Distorted Sound Mag

[10] Outlaws of The Sun

[11] Forming The Void Facebook

[12] Forming The Void Facebook

[13] The Obelisk

[14] Prog Rock Journal

[15] Forming The Void Facebook

[16] Forming The Void Facebook

[17] Forming The Void Facebook

[18] Forming The Void Facebook

[19] Forming The Void Facebook

[20] Forming The Void Facebook

[21] The Obelisk

[22] The Obelisk

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