Once a pioneer in the ‘Soundcloud Emo Rapper’ scene, Nothing, Nowhere, real name Joe Mulherin, has come a long way in the past seven years since his debut effort.
Those seven years have seen Mulherin hit almost dizzying heights, but what this latest release represents is something which Mulherin seems to consider a “return to roots”, throwing it right the way back to much of the music he grew up on. Leaving much of the emotionally-tinged rap in the past, Void Eternal is a stark contrast sonically to the previous effort Trauma Factory’ (2021), and will likely have many fans wondering whether or not they clicked the right album.
Opening track ‘ANX13TY‘ immediately kicks the album into life, a hard-hitting riff that floods your ears, courtesy of Manny Hardman, formerly of Counterparts, who is now Mulherin’s touring guitarist.
What hasn’t changed in Mulherin’s songwriting is the poignant lyricism. Throughout the album, we see the mention of a number of different topics surrounding mental health, loneliness, and depression, Mulherin has been vocally open about his struggles in previous years, using his work as a musician to help himself move forward and progress.
An album highlight comes as quickly as the second track ‘TRAG3DY’. Featuring more of that trademark lyricism (‘The memories leave you paralyzed/Apathy eats you from the inside’), as well as guest vocals from Lorna Shore vocalist Will Ramos, the track is both melancholic and melodic, with soaring guitars throughout and the two singers harmonizing well.
However as those familiar with Ramos’ technique will have come to expect, the breakdown is especially brutal, teeming with aggression, and features Ramos displaying some of the incredible squealing vocals that he has become so well known for.
VOID ETERNAL is an album that spreads itself across a variety of genres, and there are aspects of both metalcore and post-hardcore running through the veins of this album. The songs ‘PSYCHO-PSYCHIATRY’ (Featuring SeeYouSpaceCowboy), and ‘Venom’ (Featuring Underoath) are perhaps the two best representations of this bloodline.
‘SUICIDE_PACT’ and ‘ER4SER’ are both songs that will likely feel the most familiar to long-standing fans, with both of which featuring Mulherin’s brand of “emo rap” that saw him gain traction to begin with. Instead of the vocals being laid over a typical trap beat, they are instead placed over rumbling drums and gritty guitars, helping to create a refreshing delivery.
The album also has its very own Nu-Metal moment in the form of ‘THIRST4VIOLENCE’, which features not only Shane Todd of Silverstein, but also hip-hop artist Freddie Dredd. The song flips itself on its head just shy of 20 seconds in, with the drums crashing down as Todd’s vocals rip in the background. Dredd’s verse later on the song is underpinned by an aggressive and dramatic breakdown that perfectly bridges the gap between Mulherin’s previous work and his newfound home in the heavy music scene.
Mentor and Label owner Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy) features on single ‘CYANIDE’ to deliver not just one of his distinctive spoken word verses, but also screeching guttural vocals over the course of the breakdown, rolling the years back to his hardcore days prior to Fall Out Boy.
The main criticism of the album itself is that while this venture into the heavier world of music is a refresh and a new start for Mulherin, many of the heavier tracks on the album do feel slightly formulaic, however, that’s more of a symptom of the genres explored themselves, as opposed to being a result of lazy songwriting.
Another of the album’s highlights is ‘FORTUNE_TELLER’ which features British upstarts Static Dress, and lead singer Olli Appleyard’s both clean and unclean vocals combine with Mulherin’s vocals perfectly. The album ultimately concludes with ‘MEMORY_FRACTURE’, which was the first song from the album that was released, and was what served as the first glimpse into what Mulherin had in store for the album.
Overall, VOID ETERNAL is a reasonably solid effort, featuring an impressive collection of the alternative scene’s most beloved figures both past and present, the shift from previous efforts to this new style has not led to a loss of identity in Mulherin’s songwriting. Despite the formulaic nature of some tracks, the album identifies Nothing, Nowhere as a name to watch out for in the years to come.
