Towards the Pillory by Votive

As the line between Church and State blur, spirituality suffers. Belief in God becomes a means to an end. Those who ache for genuine connection beyond ourselves are left without a pathway, only hollow husks of what religion used to be. On their new album Towards the Pillory, screamo act Votive explore these themes, straining and reaching for God until shoulders pop out of socket, splinters digging under fingernails clawing at the casket door of Christianity. Biting commentary on the culture of performative evangelism rotted from the inside out plays off jagged and disorienting riffs, intensity rising as the search for meaning grows more desperate. Amidst the chaos moments of divine inspiration strike, melodic grooves a shining light in the darkness. But once the veil is torn, a peek snuck behind the curtain, all that is revealed is an empty throne room. As faith decays beyond recognition, Towards the Pillory sinks into a heavy feeling of abandonment, the promise of salvation ripped away and leaving nothing in its wake.