I’ve known Corellian’s guitarist, Shawn Martin, since elementary school. Hell, he even gave me my first tattoo when we were both 16. So I was excited for my old friend when he told me about Corellian a couple of years ago, as well as when he recently told me the album was finally ready to go, and that he was going to send me the CD.
There is one thing that I’d like to bring up before we get into the music on said CD, and that’s the fact that Voidwalker is a true D.I.Y. project, as Shawn has told me that …
“The whole project was DIY, from us recording in our own studio, with our own equipment, as well as outputting the discs and doing the art and everything.”
Shawn is joined in Corellian by bassist Jay Sherman and drummer Rich Eichelberg, and as their Bandcamp bio reads, the resulting band is …
“Fueled by Colorado Kool-Aid and Acapulco Gold!”
Now that we’ve talked a bit about the band let’s dive into the songs on Voidwalker!
The Songs
1. Future Relic (05:21)
A cold wind blows across a desolate wasteland on an alien planet somewhere in the cosmos. Suddenly, a guitar appears from inside that blast, bringing an ominous tone created by a wall of distortion and a wah pedal. This is how the first track on Voidwalker begins, and it is a tasty little number from beginning to end. This trio of musicians from Rochester, NY, has a strong Sleep influence, a fact that never hurts when entering the scene with a debut album.
2. Voidwalker (04:50)
Ah yes, an intro that is drums until the feedback of the guitars begins! Their drummer, Rich, lays down interesting yet foundational parts on all of these tracks, and along with Jay’s bass playing, that foundation is rock solid! This song is one of the top ones on Voidwalker, with its heavy riffs and power.
3. Galactic Harbor (05:37)
I love the intro on this song, with its non-distorted guitars, subtle darkness, and Space-Psych influences. The distortion gets kicked on, but that Space-Psych vibe doesn’t go anywhere afterward. An ominously dark tone also pervades the texture of this track … making me love it all the more.
4. The Dwarf (04:11)
Matt Pike of Sleep and High On Fire has definitely influenced this tune, and that’s part of its charm. Corellian also threw in a dose of groove that comes to you in heavy riffs and that solid foundation Rich and Jay provide.
5. Spaceport420 Interlude Vol. 1 (04:50) and 6. Spaceport420 Interlude Vol. 2 (09:49)
The last two tracks are tied together by name, so we’ll combine them for this paragraph.
“Vol. 1” has a loose, unrestricted feel that shows the band just feeling the music, feeding off of each other, and creating an excellent track in the process.
“Vol. 2” begins with footsteps down a dark hallway before entering some form of control room, maybe space-related or governmental. The music here is loose and unrestricted, Psychedelic in nature, though that Space aspect is still present. This is another track that I feel is a standout one.
Final Thoughts
Corellian has put out a great debut album, one that exhibits a lot of promise for the future. As I said earlier, it is a true D.I.Y. project, an ethic that goes back to the underground punk and hardcore scenes of the 80s and 90s and earlier as well.
There are some rough edges due to the D.I.Y. approach, but those edges give the album character; a few of you won’t agree, but I urge you to listen to the music and not focus on those rough edges.
So head over to Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you stream music, and give Voidwalker, the debut from this Rochester band, a listen; I recommend headphones and a fat joint to smoke while doing so. Enjoy!
Check out Voidwalker by Corellian on Bandcamp here.
You can support Corellian by finding them on Bandcamp or Facebook.
This review was written by Tom Hanno, who has been writing reviews for the last 7 years but has been sharing his love of music for most of his life. Originally starting out at the now-defunct Chimera Magazine, he is currently contributing to Doomed and Stoned, The Sleeping Shaman, The Doom Charts, Tom’s Reviews, and The Third Eye. Read more of Tom’s reviews by checking out his Linktree.
The Third Eye 
Leave a comment