I literally have my own private access to a surf break so I would never get anything done working from home, in fact I had the dy off the other day to do some renovation and spent half of the day surfing
In 2014, the Belgians in Emptiness threw out Nothing But The Whole, a thundering album of black and death metal that combined the two quite seamlessly, with a delicious sense of atmosphere to boot. Being almost universally praised in underground metal circles, how exactly does the band follow up such a powerhouse release? Easy: by going for something different.
Listening to the last albums a lot lately, my expectations are sky high for this eventhough I have no idea what this is gonna be as they are not a band which is easy to predict. Have a lot to live up to, at any rate.
Only listened to one preview track but from what I heard live at EMM (which was mostly centered around this release, they only played one song from the previous album) this album will be quite different from Nothing Butt The Hole. When NBTW came out their live shows were incredible, but this last time was slightly disappointing. They had a third guitarist who also did keyboards and effects and all that and it just wasn't working for me. I was so much more impressed when they were creating the music they did with just guitars rather than having an extra dude up on stage doing extra effects. It felt a bit like overkill.
I like what I heard from Not For Music, but I don't think it really is on the same level as its predecessor. It will be a nice ambient album though, not expecting much metal at this point (partly because Marcel told me not to.)
Pretty decent overall, but I find it meanders an awful lot and often comes across as a less successful 'Silhouette In Splinters'. 'It Might Be' is probably the best track on the record, along with 'Let It Fall' which is a pretty interesting finisher. The rest all seem flawed or underbaked in some way. Still think the vocals are silly though.
So, what I was thinking turned out to be true, unfortunately.
Obviously, Emptiness is not meant to play "fast" , " in your face" metal. It is not surprising that the best track is the opener, and the weakest one is the closer: the opener employs a very subtle approach, while the closer, especially in the first half or so, has this very chaotic, distorted guitar going on that just does not set any mood.
There are more details into this than NBtW, but maybe that is the problem.
Pretty decent overall, but I find it meanders an awful lot and often comes across as a less successful 'Silhouette In Splinters'. 'It Might Be' is probably the best track on the record, along with 'Let It Fall' which is a pretty interesting finisher. The rest all seem flawed or underbaked in some way. Still think the vocals are silly though.
3rdWorld will probably say it's fun.
I really didn't like this. I thought i liked the singles, but now that i listen to the album i only said that because it was Emptiness, the band that released the masterpiece Nothing But The Whole a couple years ago. It was a boring album, and they shouldn't have made it so fast. It's not as horrible as some of the other shit i've heard, though.
I really didn't like this. I thought i liked the singles, but now that i listen to the album i only said that because it was Emptiness, the band that released the masterpiece Nothing But The Whole a couple years ago. It was a boring album, and they shouldn't have made it so fast. It's not as horrible as some of the other shit i've heard, though.
I think it could have done with a bit longer in the oven. Refined some bits, cut some bits away and just generally make it more consistent and something that works as a whole.
I really didn't like this. I thought i liked the singles, but now that i listen to the album i only said that because it was Emptiness, the band that released the masterpiece Nothing But The Whole a couple years ago. It was a boring album, and they shouldn't have made it so fast. It's not as horrible as some of the other shit i've heard, though.
I think it could have done with a bit longer in the oven. Refined some bits, cut some bits away and just generally make it more consistent and something that works as a whole.
that's a good way to put it, and they really should have done that, it could've been better. I think fucking "Twiggy" rushed the production because he's used to making fucking guns and roses albums and shit.
Could have been, would have been, should have been... basically what they did here was take some of those slower, more atmospheric moments from NbtW and went much, much deeper with them. No metals? No, not really. Not fast and in your face? No, not really. But a bold experiment with a new approach that's both inspired and (for the most part) successful? You bet.
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.
This being categorized as "blackened death metal" made me expect something else than the sound meeting my ears. I didn't regret any second listening to this album tho, it's a very solid work. It's more progressive rock, alternative, experimental than what "blackened death metal" would sound to me. If you're into dark, atmospheric, experimental stuff, then you will treasure this release for sure.
Multiple spins in i'm really enjoying it. enough cool shit seems to be going on in DM (yes, stuck in '89-93 dude appreciates some of the chaotic new stuff) that the departure into darker if less metallic waters is appreciated.
But a bold experiment with a new approach that's both inspired and (for the most part) successful? You bet.
That's "Nothing But The Whole".
In comparison, I would say "NBTW" was better produced than what they try to did with this new disc(even new direction?!). Though I don't find any single "dull" moment here which took me off the flow. Another great qualitative material which had loads of fun for us. Just like previous releases, couple of spins are mandatory to digest it.