Voidrunner - A Thousand Lifetimes

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Voidrunner's A Thousand Lifetimes is a moving, poignant listening experience punctuated by touching vocal performances, intricate guitar work and songwriting which touches on pain, love and loss which is leavened by lighter moments. I enjoy the way in which all of the sonic elements combine to create a tightly woven, expressive whole as the album unfolds and reveals itself.

At the centre of A Thousand Lifetimes is George Rich's voice. It contains resonant depth, soaring emotion and the ability to capture a wide range of moods within its range. The way in which George Rich transfers the affecting lyrics and vocal melodies presses home the depth of feeling within the music. The end result is intensely engaging and full of heartfelt sensations.

Another crucial element to A Thousand Lifetimes comes from guitarist and producer Britton Shrum. The way in which he intermingles skillful, emotive guitar performances with layers of interestingly textured synth sounds results in music which supports the strength of the vocals and adds more weight and complexity to the entire album.

I also want to comment on the songwriting on A Thousand Lifetimes. The themes of the songs are human and full of sensitivity and emotional range. I enjoy the way in which the songs paint visceral images in my mind and carry me through my own personal experiences. The songs reach out and capture all of the experiences that make up a life.

My Favourite Songs Analyzed

“Introduction” comes to life as rain patters down and static crackles. In the distance, smoothly riffling synth cascades rapidly and broadly sweeping notes spread underneath. The bass is rich and rounded as the steadily crackling sound in the distance is cut by tender guitar notes and shining synth which floats past. The bass is a steady glide while the guitar adds sharpness and the arpeggios continue to spin. Chiming notes coruscate as the guitar wanders and silence falls.

Crackling sounds move while menacing bass rumbles and metallic notes entangle with gentle luminescence to open “True Believer.” Britton Shrum’s guitar drifts as the colossal drums rebound and the bass adds shape. As the kick drum pounds, George Rich's deep and emotive vocals fill the music.

The drums continue to pulsate as the guitar adds flaring brightness. George Rich's voice spills out with passion and intensity, driven by the throbbing drum weight and flashing guitar. The chorus leaps upward with deeply felt melancholy and longing before the guitar carries a melody that rises with mingled triumph and tragedy, cascading and dancing through the music.

George Rich touches me with the sincerity and intense expression within his powerful voice while the drums guide the music and Britton Shrum’s guitar intertwines with radiant energy. Once again, the chorus leaps out on the heartfelt vocals, delivering an emotional punch with each word. Behind the chorus, the guitar and drums add dynamically bursting strength.

The track moves into a floating segment in which the heartbroken guitar sobs with feeling. The drums and bass drop away as the notes ring with shiny incandescence. Britton Shrum’s guitar solo rips through the music with richly intermingled sounds, full of intricacy and inventive playing. The song accelerates one final time as the chorus erupts with life and the music fades.

Our storyteller asks if the listener has ever wondered why it doesn’t matter how hard you try because “you just can’t seem to rely on the words that come from the tears in your eyes.” He adds that you try to run away from your mistakes and “tears run down your face.”

The narrator speaks to the listener and says that as a true believer, they “just keep running away, hoping that things will change.” He adds that nobody’s left to say “that the heartache won’t fade away.”

Now our storyteller asks the audience if they’ve ever given up on the people that they loved. He concludes by asking, “Have you ever cried so hard that you had nowhere else to run?”

“Holding Time in My Hands” begins as a warmly levitating synth grows in volume and huge bass rolls as enfolding synth chords open widely. Fragile motes glisten from a raised synth as Britton Shrum’s guitar carries a pining melody that reaches to the sky, full of profound longing and a knowledge of loss. The guitar slices as the glittering synth radiates sunlight and the drums pound.

George Rich's voice is aching and heartfelt, capturing the love and certainty of heartbreak in the words. As the guitar growls, George Rich’s voice delivers an emotional gut punch while the drums pulsate. The vocals slip out with deep emotion as Britton Shrum’s guitar slices and snarls and the scintillating synth shines while the low end presses on.

The chorus captures all of the mournful, but affectionate sensations within the song. The guitar solo is brimming with feeling and intricate expression, wildly leaping and spinning with unrestrained energy. The vocals become muffled for a moment as the gigantic low end thunders and the drums burst again. George Rich lets loose with his distinctive and affecting vocals while the guitar cascades and the drums burst before the song ends.

The narrator reminds himself to "take a little time to keep your eyes on her." He points out that one day everything’s all right and the rest just blurs together. He wonders how he can slow things down because "I'm holding time in my hands" as the days flow past. He wishes the song's subject could stay. He knows that, at the right time, he'll have to let the other person go. He wants to slow things down because "one day she'll fly, you'll just have to let her grow."

The sound of rain and running water is joined by a feverishly bright synth that tumbles to open “In The Water.” The bass continues to thunder with dramatic muscle as the ghostly notes tangle and George Rich's portentous voice carries a melody that radiates sadness.

I am fully engaged in the song’s emotional depth as the huge drums rebound and distantly wandering voices move through the distance mournfully. The sparkling synth drops away as George Rich’s vocals capture broken-hearted loss, while a glowing, cascading synth adds eerie sensations.

The drums continue to batter while Britton Shrum’s agonized guitar cries out. A synth sparkles as the deeply expressive vocals drift and the heavy drums collide. The drums smack in again as George Rich unleashes his voice.

The glittering synth drops away as the lost, floating vocals are touched by delicate chimes while broad arpeggios vibrate sharply. The drums explode again as the vocals drift with longing before Britton Shrum’s guitar solo unfurls with intricately flying notes conveying torn emotion before silence falls.

Our storyteller says that "no one knows what's in the water, black as the night, why even bother?" As we are washed away, there's no more hope. He speaks of our "haunted feelings" as we ask what's in the water. He talks about how we'll reach a point at which "we bend and then we break."

The narrator wonders if this was all a game as he points out that "no one knows what's in the shadows, no one thinks about our dreams." He adds that we're each looking for a monster "but it's always hiding its teeth." As the song concludes, he mentions our haunted feelings again and asks what lurks in the shadows.

“Can't Stop Loving You” begins as rain falls and footsteps tick on pavement, as a deep sigh exhales. Widely radiant synth pierces with hurting emotion and colossal strength before the vocals come in. Fragile synth slips through the music as the drums begin to thud massively and the bass moves below. Arpeggios glimmer in the distance as the drums drive on.

The rippling notes float past and Britton Shrum’s guitar carries uplifting emotion as the low end pulses. A mixture of hope and longing permeates the guitar as the heavy low end throbs. George Rich’s engaging, directly expressive voice carries the vocal melody which is full of yearning and encouragement, while the guitar charges and the drums explode. I enjoy the tone and feeling of the vocals as they unfold while the melody in the distance elevates and shines.

The drums throb as the slicing synth exudes taut luminosity while George Rich catches the emotion within the song. The drums continue to add propulsion while the background spills out brilliance and the guitar churns with vast strength. George Rich releases the full strength of his voice, punching home the song's message with conviction. Britton Shrum contributes towering muscle as the track drifts to a segment in which starlit synth sparkles above heavy bass.

The sharply shining synth joins the tenderly hurting vocals as they trickle and the drums rebound. The chorus erupts again with the guitar growling and George Rich calling out with deep feeling as the drums push forward. The song ends with the chorus fading out.

The narrator points out that everyone cries sometimes and "everybody wonders why nobody's there sometimes,” as he says that nobody knows why. He adds that "when the storm breaks out, I will run to you." He says that he can't stop loving the song's subject.

Our storyteller says that everyone tries sometimes and "everybody wants to fly straight to the sky sometimes," even though nobody knows why. After the lightning strikes, he will let the storm rage on because "my love for you will stay strong."

As the storm continues to rage, the narrator says that he's going to "carry on through the torture and the pain" while his love remains strong in the face of challenges.

Slowly expanding synth grows in strength to open “Drive.” Gossamer notes sigh as they open into the music, adding shimmering brilliance. The drums rebound as the bass undulates and the jewel-like synth glitters.

George Rich’s deep, sensitive voice carries the melody, which mingles escape and motion. Britton Shrum’s guitar flies out with hopeful, concentrated dynamism as the chorus climbs with explosive energy. The drums continue to punch hard as the vocals carry the resonant emotion, pulling me inward.

The crisp drums snap as the chorus rings out and a bell-like synth shines delicately. Britton Shrum’s guitar vaults into the music again, singing with unrestrained liveliness, delivering as much emotional weight as the vocals.

The chorus climbs upwards and the sound of rain begins in the distance. The bass rumbles as tiny notes twinkle and the rain continues to fall. The track glides along before its level of intensity rises again. Glimmering notes growbefore the track erupts again.

As George Rich’s voice moves through the music, Britton Shrum pours his heart out through the guitar strings, catching all of the feelings within the lyrics. The track comes to an end as another guitar solo punches home with mingled excitement and agony within the music.

Our storyteller says that there's "another reason to keep holding on to you, another reason to start anew." He and the song's subject are leaving town on an empty road as they fasten their seatbelts and hold on. He talks about listening to "the sound of the broken hearted" while they follow the lines and sing in the darkness. They're singing "the songs of a broken hearted night."

After running out of gas on the side of the road, they pull on their jackets and the storyteller wonders where they'll go. He isn't sure, but knows that they can "follow the sound of a broken heart, holding our ground while the sky goes dark on us." He concludes that since they don't know how to fly, they'll drive.

“Purgatory” comes into being with a caressing synth gliding out into open space. Mournful peace permeates the music as the colossal bass towers, adding sharp-edged majesty. George Rich’s voice slides past with calming, hurting emotion as the reverential synth intertwines in the distance. The drums crash with monumental strength and the vocals drift wistfully past.

George Rich presses home the bereft feelings of the lyrics, which touches me as the low end batters heavily. Britton Shrum’s guitar thunders ferociously, adding dark power as the drums continue to smash. The ticking percussion shapes the music as the heavy low end crashes and the slipping synth echoes in tranquil motion while the drums are muffled.

The percussion becomes clear again as the heavy drums collide while the vocals carry elegiac emotion and the synth slides. The drums punch hard and Britton Shrum’s growling guitar cuts with jagged edges while the chiming notes tremble. As the track comes to an end, sparkling synth floats above the crushing strength below and silence falls.

The narrator is losing touch with himself and he takes "one more drink just to think" as he shrinks inward so he can feel "like I can tell the difference between Heaven and Hell." As street lights blur together, he says he "can't tell if it's her."

He wonders if he's taking his time as "the time begins to unwind." He speaks of a high coming down and wonders if he's "doomed to go on and on." He concludes that he ought to know if he's doomed to continue on.

Tranquil, soothing synth drifts as raised notes add a diamantine shine to start “With You.” A saxophone drifts with passionate energy as flickering notes spill out above the softly touching drums and the arpeggiating synth spins.

Drums begin to snap sharply as the luscious bass rumbles and the rhythm drives in. George Rich’s affecting voice carries the emotional heart of the song. Gleaming notes flash as the drums continue to pulsate sharply.

The drums flourish again and George Rich lets his voice fly with sincere emotion as the bass swirls. The track exudes brilliance as George Rich’s voice transports me while the drumbeat snaps cleanly.

The guitar cuts with razor edges and the vocals rise, full of feeling, before the drums drop away and trickling notes shimmer. Britton Shrum’s propulsive guitar snarls again as the drums press on and the track pushes forward.

Crystalline illumination spirals from the synth before the guitar cuts in again, Britton Shrum grabbing hold of the song’s emotion and running with it. As the song ends, the guitar skirls and the vocals sail out as the synth scintillates before the drums fall silent.

This tale’s teller says that “never in a million years did I think it would come to this,” or that the song's subject would ever stop his kiss. He adds, “I don't know how deep this goes, Heaven is so far below,” as he says that he loves when the other person takes control.

Our storyteller says it's okay to be afraid and he doesn't want to leave the moment he's in with the other person. He says, “I just need to feel something with you, this is the lifetime that we're waiting for.” He asks if he's supposed to be afraid and is reassured that it's all right.

The narrator says that the song’s subject leaves their mark around town so “nobody can ever feel down.” He concludes that their love “was lost, but now it's found.”

Conclusion

A Thousand Lifetimes is a gripping, touching listening experience that draws me into the emotional depth and propels me along with the musicians as they unfold the album with real feeling.