Emptiness, the Belgian extreme metal band, has always been known for its visceral and dissonant sound, which often mirrors existential dysphoria. Their latest album, 'Nowhere Speaks', continues this tradition, but with a twist. The album is a self-referential horror, a circular journey that connects their past albums, 'Nothing But the Whole' and 'Vide', over a decade apart. The band's trajectory has taken them from uncompromising blackened death to ambient and experimental territory, and 'Nowhere Speaks' is no exception. It's an album that creeps and stalks, with dark melodies and restlessly stalking tempos, and an atmosphere that incarnates as disso-death moodiness, noisy atmo-black, and warped ambience. The album's recording process, where each member recorded their parts in isolation, adds to the sense of disconnection and unease. The band's belief in the virtue of patience is evident, as 'Nowhere Speaks' spreads out like a great gulf of nothing, taking time to immerse the listener in its void of beautiful nothingness. In my opinion, the album's nuances and unusual textures are intriguing, but sometimes veer towards a mélange that's too understated. The band has nailed the vibe, and much of the album capitalizes on the magical combination of pseudo-dissonant guitar, smothering dark ambience, and unusual compositional shapes. However, the wavering vagaries in the midpoints and margins threaten to fade too far into the background. Overall, 'Nowhere Speaks' is a very good album, and a testament to the band's commitment to their unique sound. It's an album that rewards patience and immersion, and a must-listen for fans of extreme metal and experimental music.
