Void emerged from the early ’80s DC hardcore scene that produced Minor Threat and Bad Brains, and the influence of these bands on their music is obvious.  They were the first band on Ian MacKaye’s Dischord Records from outside the Beltway, though still not outside of the DC area.  If their music had been released just a half decade later, it would have seemed clichéd and worn.  Instead, Void’s place in timeline made them one of the bands that solidified what would become the hardcore clichés.

Compared to some of the more established bands in the scene, Void was more chaotic and disorganized.  Void was not the most innovative hardcore artist of the era, but as one of the early imitators their sound still contained a bit of novelty.  In their later days they began to show a greater influence of metal in their music.  This was around the same time that Black Flag was producing My War.  Like My War, Void’s place in music history is perhaps most notable for their influence on the genres of sludge metal, crossover thrash, and grunge.

This record, Sessions 1981-83 chronicles Void’s entire career.  It includes their entire first recording session, previously unreleased.  It also contains several unreleased demos and outtakes, along with live tracks.  Most notably, there are multiple incipient versions of songs that became Void’s classics: “War Hero,” “Dehumanized,” and “Black, Jewish, and Poor.”   A cover of Black Flag’s “Wasted” is also quite entertaining.

(Dischord Records, 3819 Beecher St. NW Washington, DC 20007)