# Like All Before You

Like All Before You is the third studio album by the American band the Voidz, which was released on September 20, 2024. It was the band's first album in six years following 2018's Virtue.

## Background

This album is the band's first in six years and third overall, with their last being Virtue. It is also notably frontman Julian Casablancas's first project following his Grammy Award win for Best Rock Album with his other group, the Strokes, for their 2020 album The New Abnormal.
The title of the album was inspired by a conversation between Casablancas and the band's bassist and synth player, Jake Bercovici, where the latter said: "Soon we’ll all be crusted and dusted like all before us.”

## Recording

The album was recorded at the band's home studio in Venice, California, as well as at Vox Studios in Los Angeles. The band collaborated with producers Ivan Wayman, Justin Raisen, and Sadpony on several tracks.

## Release

The album's first single, "Prophecy of the Dragon" was released on May 26, 2023. On October 27, 2023, "Flexorcist" was released, along with an accompanying 14-minute-long music video that also served as the music video for "Prophecy of the Dragon". In the following year, on February 21, 2024, "All the Same" was released.
On July 4, 2024, a teaser was uploaded to the band's YouTube channel that announced the album and revealed its digital release date to be in September 2024, with further announcements detailing the album's physical vinyl release date and two live dates in Los Angeles and Harlem for October of that year. With this announcement, the band also quietly put out the instrumental single "Overture" on digital platforms. The album's final single, "7 Horses", was released on September 16, 2024.
Like All Before You was released on September 20, 2024.

## Reception

Professional ratings :
| Aggregate scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 5.6/10 |
| Metacritic | 59/100 |
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Clash | 8/10 |
| DIY | |
| Pitchfork | 5.5/10 |
| Rolling Stone | |
The album was met with a mixed reception. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Like All Before You received "mixed or average reviews" based on a weighted average score of 59 out of 100 from 10 critic scores. Clash gave the album an 8/10 score, describing the album as falling into the category of "unforced invention delivered with chilled ease", praising the tracklist's variety and mentioning that "while heaps of experimenting is on display, [...] the song is always at the centre". Rolling Stone rated the album two and a half stars, writing that "the record is the most unpredictable that the group [...] has recorded since it formed more than a decade ago", adding that it is "difficult to listen to the album as a whole".

### AI artwork controversy

The band faced backlash with their use of AI artwork for the album's cover art, which was revealed via a post on Casablancas's Instagram page in July of 2024. Later, under the post itself, the singer issued a statement defending the choice, which included the following excerpts:
   "We [definitely] didn't go out of our way to use AI art. I just objectively– in the wilderness of the art out there– liked the image and we were working with several ideas and just all objectively collectively liked it best. [...] Sorry to the 'Scared of [New] Tools' tribe, truly sorry. But art plops up, best idea/image/noise in the end should win... and I'm not 'endorsing' AI, I don't dwell on it, but it's part of culture now. Relax, it's iPhone."

## Track listing

All tracks are written by Alex Carapetis, Amir Yaghmai, Jake Bercovici, Jeff Kite, Jeramy "Beardo" Gritter, and Julian Casablancas. All tracks produced by Ivan Wayman and Justin Raisen, except where noted.