MoD (Minions of Doom) - "The Void or the Abyss"
MoD is a trio from Tilburg, The Netherlands whose sound is characterized by a blend of stoner rock, post rock, doom, and grunge. Heavily influenced by greats such as Kyuss, Truckfighters, Monolord, and Russian Circles, MoD has been releasing music since 2015. I heard the band for the first time in May 2024, by way of their single What?!, and found myself instantly captivated with their moody, turbulent grooves.
Interestingly, though their acronym of a moniker stands for "Minions of Doom", the band's tones typically lean further into the grunge and stoner side of the heavy music spectrum, though the doom influence is very apparent in the weightiness of their low and rumbling riffage.
MoD signed with Octopus Rising, "the (un)parallel label of Argonauta Records that supports young and promising bands", in 2025, and released their album The Void or the Abyss on June 20 of the same year.
MoD - The Void or the Abyss
The Void or the Abyss begins in a rather somber manner. The sound is murky and stormy with hefty and gritty undertones, the perfect union of stoner rock and grunge. The raw, live feel of garage rock is also present albeit in a darker style, which only adds to the genuineness of the sound.
Knuckles to the Creep, the second track and the only single released from the album, boldly stands out with its strong message of persistence:
"With open arms and a heard of gold,
I'm still here, I'm still here
With a broken mind, and a body and soul,
I'm still here, I'm still here."
A distinct shift right in the middle of the album occurs on the fourth track Years. While the aforementioned somber mood is still hanging around in the background, a new openness to MoD's sound can be heard here, less bogged down and boasting a newfound optimism to some degree. This is also the point where bright and zipping stoner riffs take a firmer hold on the overall tone, naturally allowing some sun beams to poke through the storm clouds. It's worth noting that this lighter mood is noticeable in the instrumentals and increasingly often in the vocals, while not as much in the lyrics. That's OK though, because these words remain incredibly relatable.
The aptly titled House of Sand stands out brilliantly by combining these sunnier guitar tones with coarse, dense riffage, crashing percussion, and sinister, pulsing bass, building a wall of sound through which light is visible at the cracks.
Final track Bring it On switches gears completely, not only in picking up the pace, but by being utterly electrified by some infectious heavy psych groove. Taking it a step further, the addition of guest vocalist John van Kouteren's heavy metal growls and screams end the album in an ultra-powerful and memorable way.
Final Thoughts
Throughout The Void or the Abyss, I sense a renewed sense of energy from MoD, one that comes from a heightened passion and dedication from the band members as well as the conviction that arises with homing in on one's signature sound.
MoD are not newbies by any means, and that's evident in the clever composition and structure of The Void or the Abyss, gradually carrying the listener from stormy gray surroundings to more open and hopeful territory while always maintaining a sense of authenticity. It was also great to hear that fun and unique track at the end, further proof that the band is willing to expand their horizons and be more experimental at this point in their career.
As a fan who's been rooting for this group for a while now, I'm thrilled to see them in great hands with Octopus Rising/Argonauta Records, and I'm more than impressed with this vibrant new album, one that's sure to be on heavy rotation for me for the foreseeable future.
More About MoD
MoD Is:
Bart de Groot - Guitar, Vocals
Sammy Benayad - Bass
Arno Kroes - Drums
You can follow MoD and listen to their music at the following links:
A massive thank you to the band for the promo!
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