San Francisco psych-rock powerhouse Golden Void came together in late 2009 as something of a side project. Guitarist/vocalist Isaiah Mitchell of San Diego's heavy-hitting Earthless moved to the Bay Area to be with his then-girlfriend and soon wife, organist Camilla Saufley, who played in stoner rock outfit Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound. He contacted high-school friends drummer Justin Pinkerton and bassist Aaron Morgan, both of whom had been stationed in San Francisco already and were doing time in bands Eyes and Roots of Orchis, intent on getting a new group going. The quartet first appeared on the limited-edition 7" The Curve in late 2011 on the Valley King Records label, blending the influence of classic rock, stoner metal, and vintage psych into a guitar-heavy sound, highlighting Mitchell's rampant soloing. The group's first full-length was slow to materialize, with all the members still performing in multiple other projects, as well as Saufley and Mitchell's wedding, along with the marriages of other bandmembers around the same time. With only sporadic gigs and writing sessions, the band pieced together its self-titled full-length, which was released in late 2012 on Thrill Jockey Records. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi