Review by Tomek on January 15, 2016.

Few years ago I reviewed a debut album by Polish band Empatic called Gods Of Thousand Souls. I liked their debut. There were a few things to work on but generally the album was pretty good and back then I decided to check up on them when the new album arrived. Ruined Landscape is the name of their second offering and even though it was released in 2014 and I’m a little late to jump on the wagon, I believe it is never too late to write about albums that are worth talking about. Did they top their debut, is that one better than previous offering, how does it stack up against Gods Of Thousand Souls? Let’s begin.

First thing that came to mind while listening to Emaptic (and I think same thing happened when I was listening to previous album) is how effortlessly those guys churn out all those kick ass riffs and how much melody and how many themes they pack in their songs and whole album altogether. Their kind of metal is still in your face; take no prisoners, heavy as all heck death but there is much more to it. Songs are well constructed and dense but always leave room for this something extra that will stay with you and make the song recognizable. Vocals are up front with this beast and operate on guttural lows for the most part, but there’s also this raspy or snarly attack that happens now and then and it kills!! Me likes it a lot. Dual guitar assault works hard on this release putting out an amazing plethora of riffage and melody. There are some nicely done solos on this album also and for an old-schooler such as myself, this is something that I’ll never get enough of on metal albums. Very nice indeed. Bass and drum section does an excellent job keeping a powerful rumble ever-present throughout the album and listening to those two is almost like a full time job.

As you can see in this aspect we have all the right stuff in the right place but there are also portions that are not so great and even though there are only a few, they do somewhat disappoint and sort of mess up the listening experience. Empatic are great masters of chuggery and groove but it’s also their weakest element. Not that something is wrong with the chuggs itself, o no!! Chuggs are more than alright but the amount of it and repetition time is way off. The band needs to realize that having a great breakdown, chugging section or adding a great groove needs to be timed right to make an impact. Rolling same riffs on and on does not make them better and, quite frankly, can destroy whole song no matter how great it is.

So, what is the final word? I think Empatic is growing and growing fast. I see much improvement in all aspects and I see them moving forward and learning from their mistakes. Ruined Landscape is a good album when comparing to many out there, but I do not want to compare it to the lesser ones - I want to compare it to the greats of the genre and I believe that with their next one I will be able to do just that.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Felix on October 28, 2020.

Balmog recently released their opus magnum. The monumental Pillars of Salt is a good, Watain-influenced song with some great parts. By contrast, Vacvvm sounds pretty autonomous. It is heavier than the one-track-release and it spreads the smell of sulphur. The album reveals a profound wickedness, the blood of innocent victims drops from every devilish guitar tone and the album’s atmosphere is characterised by the spirituality that made the subgenre great.

Balmog mixes thunderous riffing, pure vehemence and macabre melody-fragments. While doing so, they create hellish treasures like 'Hodegetria'. As is so often the case, density and intensity go hand in hand and the brutal, tormented and disturbing voice of the lead singer adds the final touch. The vocals deliver a strong element on this output, even the preaching sequences at the beginning and in the midst of 'Vigil of the Blinds' increase the uncomfortable feeling the music creates. But the instrumental sections are convincing as well, because the Spanish three-piece sees no reason to hide its talent for the creation of melodies that fit the spirit of black metal exactly. Just listen to the somehow sun-drenched yet threatening, nearly oriental first tones of the guitar.

Vacvvm is not a progressive work, but it also does not boast with all its advantages immediately. The album needs some spins to reveal its full might and I can only hope that this fact does not result in a wrong perception of the material. Of course, the senseless intermezzo in the centre of the album does not make sense. Worse still, it hurts its flow and intensity. Balmog gets back on track with 'Come to the Pulpit' – pay attention to the warm instrumental part that sets in after 3:40 minutes – and especially 'Gignesthai' marks another highlight. This track starts with an almost ritual part that leads to a hymnal section with nearly celestial choirs. But don’t get me wrong, the song also houses straight, fast hammering and many thrilling breaks. This song catches all moods the music of Balmog stands for; the desire to kill, total despair and the unfulfilled longing for salvation. In short, this is one of the tracks that show the entire grandness of black metal.

Vacvvm is equipped with an appropriate production and a stylish booklet. The non-musical elements set the proper frame for an album which is like a seductive Spanish lady who invites you to take a coffee (or more) in her kitchen. Maybe meat is on the menu as well! Of course, you can live on without accepting the invitation (foolish idiot!), but perhaps you will be missing something very good. Doubts are useless, their third full-length reveals the great potential of Balmog once again. It’s up to you to – do you really want to reject the invitation?

Rating: 8.4 out of 10