Empty – Etica Profana Negativa

One of the nice things after a reviewing-break or running-a-zine-hiatus of 4 years after 11 years of activity, it’s fun to suddenly come across certain bands of which you think “…wait a minute, I know them…those guys have send their debut years ago…I even interviewed them…I think…”. I had this feeling after I got the opportunity to listen to the new album of Empty. All their previous melodic Black Metal albums weren’t groundbreaking, but especially their debut “A Source of Hollow Essence” was a nice listen as there are some connections with Ancient’s “The Cainian Chronicle” or the obvious Emperor’s “In The Nightside Eclipse”-riff during “Arrival of the Sickening Ones”. Times change and so did Empty as their previous album “The House of Funerary Hymns” cannot be compared with their debut. And the same style has been continued on “Etica Profana Negativa”. Still drawing influences from the 1990s Norwegian scene, they have matured and made their material more eerie. They have increased the eerie element and made it even darker along with the use of Burzum-esque screams; maybe one can say they have some Depressive Black Metal parts as well. A good example is the track “The Funeral song be sung”. A desolate and strong Black Metal album! (Ricardo)