Doomed Confessionary: Guglielmo Allegro (Void Sinker)
Void Sinker is an instrumental doom/drone/sludge band based out of Salerno, Italy.
A solo project born from the mind of Guglielmo Allegro (drummer for Hypervenom and Goliathan). The project was born from the desire to experiment with ever more massive sounds and create a sort of empathy with the dimension of the void through caveman riffs at very low tunings, hypnotic drone melodies and increasingly extreme experimentations.
Void Sinker’s third full-length album »Stuck« was released on November 15th, 2024. The three tracks were recorded at home, like the rest of the project’s discography, in a period of total lockdown during the year where the only feeling Guglielmo felt was alienation and the pressure of having to mature with it; finding a more mature identity by detaching himself from the influences that gave birth to the project in the previous albums.
Can you say a few words about your band?
Hi, my name is Guglielmo Allegro and I am the founder of the solo project Void Sinker, a doom, drone, sludge project born in 2023 and which has three full-length, an EP and three self-produced singles published during the last year.
The project was born with the intention of giving vent to my creative streak towards slower, more massive and lowered sounds. Precisely it all started when I exchanged a baritone guitar for a seven string one with my guitarist Anna (Hypervenom) and from there I started composing songs in drop F tuning which I published first on my SoundCloud page and then later on Bandcamp as a musical project… and this is how the Void Sinker project was born.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
I don’t think I’ve had much of a challenge yet. Until now, I’ve just continued to play and compose riffs like I always do, every day for a whole year.
There have been moments when I’ve had blocks, like everyone else, but until now they’ve never been too serious… the funny thing is that my latest album »Stuck« was born from one of these blocks, which was my way to overcome that creative block, with a new album haha.
What can you be most proud of so far?
I am very proud of everything I have achieved in a year of activity.
If I have to be honest, for me it’s still incredible what I’ve achieved in a year between the various releases. If I look back and think about everything I’ve composed, I can’t help to feel satisfied and encouraged to continue along this path. I know the road is still long in front of me and it’s not easy at all but I won’t give up!
What was your biggest regret?
Well, one thing I regret is certainly not having formed a band with more members but continued to go on alone like a rocket composing more and more material… it was stupid of me but said that for months I didn’t have received positive feedback from anyone, so I preferred to continue like this, promising myself to look for components for the project in the future.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
For the moment I have never had the chance to perform live but I’m working on it. The ideal would be a three-piece lineup (guitar, drums and bass) plus a duo for the individual drone tracks. I don’t like the idea of performing with backing tracks and I’ve never considered the option so for now nothing live or any tour is worth mentioning…it’s still a work in progress!
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Honestly the response from the scene itself. I was surprised by the audience response and with all the doubts I had after releasing both Void Sinker and Gravity I was seriously paranoid about if anyone would ever liked my music.
I admit that I haven’t thought about that. I released the first album and the first single on impulse, without thinking and throwing myself forward blindly.
I had only composed three tracks in one style and one single in a style completely different from that of the album and I didn’t think it would have much of an impact… you can imagine my surprise when I started counting the plays on Bandcamp, haha!
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
I’m currently listening to a bit of everything. I’m one of those people who listen to music based on their mood and who likes to discover new music every day.
Lately I’ve been listening to Conan, Earth, Lowrider, Bongripper, Bell Witch, Slomatics alternating with a bit of jazz like Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, Takuya Kuroda and one of my favorite drummers, Tony Allen.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Definitely to keep in time hahaha. Jokes aside, to never limit my listening and to listen to everything I can. Especially for working in the music sector, it is essential to have a good knowledge on the subject and this has helped me a lot, both in my work experience as a sound engineer and as a musician.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Magic the Gathering, definitely. I also tried One Piece but after having pulled a manga (one of the rarest pulls of each set) and a signed pull (THE rarest pull of OP5) I sold everything and bought a new bass and a pair of fuzz.
Can you say something more about current music scene in Salerno / Southern Italy?
Well, unfortunately in my city the only places to play have closed so it’s completely non-existent…you know, living in a small provincial town isn’t exactly the best.
Luckily I live halfway between two big cities, Salerno and Naples, where the music scene is much more active and varied. Bands like Lee Van Cleef, Bird, Naga, Circle Of Witches, Lebbra and many more keep the independent music scene alive.
There are some places that organize concerts like Lizard and Mumble Rumble, recently bands like Bell Witch came to play, which is still incredible for me and I still regret missing it because of work haha.
After the pandemic it was tough, many venues lost interest in bringing live music like mine or that of other groups but we resist, there is always hope in the underground!
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Soon, I hope, at the Mumble Rumble or in some small venues in Naples. I am organizing myself in this regard…you can always stay updated on the various social networks!
What are your plans for the future as a band?
As I already said, to form the group physically and start the live activity.
Secondly I was thinking about the physical printing of the various works recorded up to now such as vinyls, CDs, tapes and more. Many are asking me that and I think it’s the right time…I just need to clear my head.
Lastly, I’m currently working on some new releases for the next year. One of those it’s a slip between me and the Devil’s Harvest project…just stay tuned!
Do you have any special plans for New Year’s Eve?
Nothing for now, I think I’ll spend the evenings with my girlfriend watching a film. I’ve never been a huge fan of New Year’s Eve parties honestly haha.
How can people best support your band?
By purchasing my music on Bandcamp. All my works will be NYP until January.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Thank you all so much for all the support and for listening to my music, see you soon with new one!
No one can hear you scream into the Void…but you can hear it…and Sink in it…
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well