Godsticks’ Darran Charles on VOiD, Heavy Prog & the Loss of Nuance
There are some albums that hit you straight away, and then there are albums that keep unfolding. VOiD, the new album from Godsticks, is very much in that second category. On the surface it is heavy, riff-driven, technically sharp and full of energy, but once you start living with it, something deeper begins to emerge. This is not just a progressive metal album built around clever arrangements and muscular playing. It is an album about frustration, disillusionment, anxiety, inner voices, and the sense of trying to step back from a world that seems to have lost the ability to listen.
When I spoke to guitarist, vocalist and main songwriter Darran Charles for the Now Spinning Magazine Podcast, the conversation quickly moved beyond the usual “tell me about the new album” territory. VOiD may be Godsticks’ darkest and heaviest record to date, but it also opened the door to a much wider discussion about social media, division, the way we talk to one another, the importance of music communities, and why some records only reveal themselves when you give them proper time.
Darran described the modern world as a place where people are increasingly pushed into one side or another. He talked about the loss of nuance, the lack of compromise, and how depressing it can be to watch conversations turn into battles rather than exchanges of ideas. Yet what struck me most was that VOiD does not sound defeated. Lyrically, there is darkness and frustration, but musically the album has a real sense of drive and release.
That contrast became one of the most interesting parts of our conversation. I said to Darran that, musically, VOiD can feel almost like a Friday night record. It is powerful, anthemic in places, full of riffs and movement. But lyrically, it is looking into something far more personal and unsettled. Darran explained that the music always comes first for him. The riffs, melodies and structures arrive before the words, and the lyrics then have to find their way into the emotional world created by the music.
He was very open about the fact that these lyrics are more personal than some of his previous work. In the past he has sometimes written from another person’s perspective, or worked with lyrical collaborators, but this time he wanted to take it all on himself. That gives VOiD a very direct emotional charge. It is not a concept album in the traditional sense, but there is a definite thread running through it — a sense of retreating from the noise, trying to make sense of internal and external conflict, and finding a way to exist within your own space.
One of the key themes we returned to was the importance of music as a bridge. At Now Spinning Magazine I often say that music is the healer and the doctor, and this conversation really brought that idea to life. Darran spoke beautifully about how people bond through music, and how passion for a band, album, film or piece of art can be infectious. He also made the point that when someone pours scorn on something you love, it can hurt more than people realise. His view was simple: if someone loves something and it is doing no harm, why take that away from them?
That idea really connects with the ethos of Now Spinning Magazine. We have built a community around the idea that people can love different kinds of music without needing to dismiss what someone else enjoys. Whether it is prog, metal, reggae, soul, classical, jazz, vinyl, CDs or box sets, the joy comes from sharing enthusiasm. Darran understood that completely. For him, music is “the nearest thing” he has experienced to something spiritual.
We also talked about how modern listening habits affect albums like VOiD. This is not music designed to be judged in the first 20 seconds while scrolling through your phone. It needs active listening. It needs time. Darran spoke about albums he initially disliked — including records by Rufus Wainwright and Meshuggah — which later became hugely important to him simply because he was forced to sit with them. That is a powerful reminder of how many albums we may now dismiss too quickly because everything is so instantly available.
The making of VOiD was clearly demanding. Darran described it as one of the hardest Godsticks albums to record and rehearse, particularly because of the complexity of the guitar parts and vocal melodies. Songs such as “Can’t Withstand” required months of work simply to be able to perform them properly live. He talked about the challenge of singing melodies that seem to be “at war” with the guitar riffs underneath them, and how much rehearsal is needed before the band can get to the point where they can let go on stage.
A big part of the album’s strength comes from the band dynamic. Although Darran remains the chief songwriter, drummer Tom Price and guitarist Gavin Bushell have become increasingly important to the final shape of the songs. Darran was very honest, and very funny, about how difficult it can be at first when someone changes one of his guitar parts — but he also acknowledged that Gavin’s contributions have transformed certain songs. He specifically mentioned “Torn Again”, where Gavin reworked the verse guitar part and helped elevate the track into something much bigger.
There is also a new presence in the rhythm section, with Francis George joining on bass. Darran explained that Francis listens closely to the demos but is also willing to take things somewhere unexpected. One bass part in “Talking Through Walls Pt. 1” initially irritated him because it was so different from what he had imagined — but after several listens, he realised it was brilliant. That moment says a lot about this album: sometimes the things that feel difficult or unexpected at first become the very details that make the music come alive.
We ended by talking about “M.I.A.”, the opening track, which Darran described as partly influenced by Meshuggah in its relentless, pounding riff construction. Lyrically, the song deals with negative inner voices — the kind that undermine joy, achievement and confidence. Darran spoke very candidly about learning to live with those voices and how, as you get older, you become better at recognising them for what they are.
That is perhaps where VOiD becomes most powerful. It may be dark, heavy and uncompromising, but it is not without humanity. It is the sound of someone wrestling with the world, with himself, with creativity, with control, with collaboration, and with the strange healing power of music.
For anyone new to Godsticks, VOiD is a challenging but rewarding place to start. It has riffs, weight, melody, emotion, complexity and depth. But more than anything, it is an album that asks you to spend time with it. Listen properly. Put the phone down. Let it unfold.
VOiD by Godsticks is out now on CD, vinyl and digital formats.
