Asking Alexandria - Dark Void

by Kevin Wierzbicki

This five song EP from English metal band Asking Alexandria features four versions of the song "Dark Void" that originally appeared on their 2023 album Where Do We Go From Here? Why is the band focusing so intently on the one song? Well, it's because the cut is about the darkness of dealing with mental health issues like depression, anxiety and loneliness, something that band bassist Sam Bettley himself has to cope with, and the condition has attention drawn to it every January on a day referred to as Blue Monday. In 2024 Blue Monday falls on Jan. 15 and Bettley says it is a perfect time for those suffering from depression to "Turn it up and let it be a reminder that you aren't alone and together we can make it through." That's a potent thought and the song is musically potent too with lyrics seeking "one more chance" voiced over swirling guitars and pounding drums, all representative of the hope couched in confusion that the condition can cause. Besides the original version of "Dark Void" the EP holds a radio edit of the song that's about a half minute shorter, a remix by Sullivan King that has an EDM bent and a stripped down version featuring piano and singer Danny Worsnop; it is the best version to really feel the emotion that the song conveys. The fifth song on the EP is another cut from Where Do We Go From Here?, the pummeling "Nothing Left" that also has a theme of lost hope.

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