A Tranquil Void is the sophomore full-length from the UK sludge/stoner metal band Urzah. Vocalist/guitarist Ed Fairman, vocalist/guitarist Tom McElveen, bassist Dan Bradley and drummer James Brown fill us in on the new record and numerous other topics.
Chad Bowar: How did the songwriting process for A Tranquil Void compare to The Scorching Gaze?
James Brown: A Tranquil Void felt far more deliberate and collaborative in its creation. The Scorching Gaze was written in a fairly intense burst of energy and emotion, whereas this record evolved over a slightly longer period with more experimentation and refinement involved. The addition of Dan on bass also introduced a new dynamic to the writing process. His input naturally pushed certain songs into different territory and helped broaden the overall sound of the record. We spent far more time building atmosphere, tightening arrangements, and allowing tracks the space to breathe and unfold naturally rather than forcing ideas too quickly.
What will be your strongest memory of the recording of the album?
Tom McElveen: Having Dave Cook from Empire of Dust come into the studio to record the call and response guest vocals for the opening track “At the Mouth of the Cave” was great. I had imagined the track to be very heavy in theory, but the realization of it was another thing entirely. When playing it back in the studio everyone had a smile on their face.
What was the biggest challenge in its creation?
Ed Fairman: Balancing heaviness with atmosphere without losing impact. We wanted the album to feel immersive and cinematic, but still crushing when it needed to be. There was also the challenge of knowing when to stop adding layers. Some songs evolved massively from their original demos.
How has your sound evolved from The Scorching Gaze?
Dan Bradley: The first LP features two LTD EC-1000 guitars, but Ed and Tom added an LTD baritone and a Sparrowhawk for this record, which has really thickened the guitar sound and added a lot more to the song dynamics. In terms of the writing, we’re a lot more confident with space, dynamics, and letting the melodies breathe. It’s still very heavy, but moves away from the slower doomier pace of the debut to more mid-tempo, riffy tracks like “Infernal Star I” and “In The Mouth of the Wolf.”
What lyrical topics do you cover on this one?
James: A lot of the lyrics revolve around isolation, collapse, grief, loss, existential dread, and the search for meaning within overwhelming or uncontrollable situations. There’s also a strong cosmic and spatial thread woven throughout the album, which naturally ties into the wider atmosphere and scale of the music itself. A recurring sense of emptiness, distance, and disconnection runs through the record, both internally and externally. Some tracks come from deeply personal places, while others take a more abstract or observational perspective, exploring emotion and human experience in a broader sense.
How did the guest appearances come about, and what did they add to the album?
Tom: Both guest heavy vocalists, Dave (Empire of Dust) and Chris (Row of Ashes,) are friends of ours who we’ve regularly played with in the Bristol scene. They each have a very unique vocal timbre which we knew would complement Ed’s in sections we wanted to hold a particular weight. Victoria Bourne (The Spark’s Desire) was my vocal tutor who helped me prepare for the clean sections on “Bark & Branches” and “Mouth of The Wolf.” I asked her to take the ethereal section of Entwined as I felt her excellent voice would work beautifully here. Luke Clemenger (Froglord, Phantom Droid) is a regular collaborator who appeared on the previous album. His cello sections elevate melody to new heights and create greater tension during drone sections.
What are your goals and expectations for the album?
Ed: Mainly just to create something that genuinely connects with people and stands the test of time for us personally. We’re proud of this record in a different way than previous releases. Of course, we’d love for it to reach a wider audience, open doors for touring, and help push the band further, but ultimately we wanted to make an album that felt honest and immersive from start to finish.
What has been your most memorable Urzah live show?
Dan: Headlining a doom metal night in a dark Bristol crypt is up there, but my best memory is supporting Nadja at The Cube, an old theatre in Bristol that’s been transformed into a DIY space. We’re big fans of Nadja, and we also had our friend Luke on stage with cello during our set, so it was a magical atmosphere.
Ed: There have been a few, but one standout would be The Crypt show we played locally at The Mount Without in Bristol. It’s an old hidden church tucked away in Clifton, with this eerie, cavernous atmosphere that perfectly suited the music and made the whole night feel immersive and otherworldly. We also recently played the Temple of Doom Festival at the Loco Klub beneath the railway arches of Temple Meads station, which was a different but equally unique experience. We’ve had some incredibly powerful smaller shows where the atmosphere in the room was completely locked in. Those gigs where everything sounds massive, the audience is fully present, and you lose all sense of time are the ones that stay with you the most.
What are your upcoming show/tour plans?
James: We’ve got a number of UK shows lined up around the album release, including a run of southern UK dates in June. We’re also hosting a special album launch show in Bristol on July 25th alongside Hundred Year Old Man, Mountainscape, and Dead Space Chamber Music. It’s shaping up to be a really varied and immersive night with bands we genuinely admire and connect with creatively. We’re also looking at more opportunities further afield. Right now, the main focus is getting A Tranquil Void out into the world properly and bringing these songs to the stage as often as possible.
How’s the heavy music scene in Bristol these days?
Tom: The metal scene in Bristol since we have been active has been very supportive and is still thriving. Having dedicated metal spaces like the excellent Gryphon and Black City Records reflects how the culture is very much thriving in our city. We are also lucky to still have several very accommodating and well-managed grassroots venues, including the Exchange where we’ll hold our launch party on July 25th.
What are some of your non-musical interests and hobbies?
Ed: Outside music it’s a mix of film, gaming, art, design, photography, and getting outdoors to reset mentally. I love spending time with my family and animals (cat and dog). I also customise jewelery as a bit of focused escapism. A lot of those things end up influencing the mood and visual side of the band indirectly as well.
What’s currently in your musical heavy rotation?
Dan: The Maledictions Upon the Wretched EP by Smouldering Tomb is brutal, we’re really looking forward to sharing a bill with them when we play Brighton in June. Also revisiting the BIG|BRAVE and The Body collab Leaving None But Small Birds, The Spiritual Sound by Agriculture and getting into the latest GNOD LP Chronicles of Gnowt (Vol 1).
Ed: Lately, I’ve actually been revisiting a lot of the music I was obsessed with growing up. There’s a band called Crydebris I’ve had on repeat, that I still think were massively overlooked. Some of the members later went on to form Rinoa, who were also great in their own right. The four-track EP The Severing still holds up unbelievably well. I always come back to Hopesfall too. They were a huge band for me in my teens and their records still hit in the same way now. Swans and Ministry are another constant when I want something more challenging. Then there’s Red House Painters for those cathartic, melancholic evenings, and pretty much anything by Jason Molina or Songs: Ohia. I naturally gravitate toward introspective music most of the time. Outside heavy music, I listen to a lot of soundtracks and subdued ambient, experimental electronic stuff as well, especially when I need to focus or switch off mentally.
Anything else you’d like to mention or promote?
Our new album A Tranquil Void is out 5th June on CD, digital and limited edition vinyl. We’ll then be touring across southern England in mid-June, with our album launch party at Bristol Exchange on Saturday 25th July, with special guests Hundred Year Old Man. All information, dates and tickets are on our website.
(interview published June 5, 2026)
