ALBUM REVIEW: Vacuum – Balmog

When someone describes an album as pure black metal, there’s actually a myriad of what they could mean. It could be the rumblings of four Norwegians in a basement recording on a Toys R Us (RIP) microphone, or it could be an expertly produced extreme opera. It’s often the middle ground in between those two extremes that give us the most fascinating results. Hailing from Spain (not exactly the sub-genres capital) BALMOG are turning that middle ground into nether realm of darkness with their second full-length, Vacuum.

We start with the chaos in full effect with Qui Immolatus Iam non Moritur. This brief intro displays the record going at its fastest pace which continues and stampedes through the first actual track, Eating The Descendant, with demented screams, vicious guitar work, killer drum fills and a truly nihilistic and vengeful atmosphere that lingers throughout the record.

A short interval from the assault arrives with Inde Deus Abest, a three and a half minute dark ambient style track with eerie synths in the distance which are hard to tell if they’re chanting or keys while soothing high notes swim around the foreground. It’s perfect for the pacing of the album because BALMOG gives you a break from their rapture just as it begins to feel repetitive, making Come To The Pulpit feel fresh and as vicious as the album’s opening. This track also displays some of BALMOG‘s dramatic spoken word moments, which feel like sermons being delivered to the surviving few, being encouraged to give their souls up to the destroyer. Ritualistic acts like this also return with the throat singing intro of Gignesthai. It’s finite like this which add much more gravitas than any guitar tone ever could, they make it more of an experience rather than a record.  

Those who are fans of underground beasts like MISþYRMING and SINMARA need to pick this one up, and even fans of more accessible black metal like WATAIN or even BEHEMOTH can find joy in this record’s despair. Admittedly this record doesn’t invent any new genres or tread any new ground, but the ground it does tread is that aforementioned perfect middle ground of black metal, and it turns to ash beneath BALMOG’s feet due to the sheer bleakness and atmospheric excellence that Vacuum is pulled off with. BALMOG sound like death on horseback rampaging through humanity and leaving a void within their wake.

Rating: 8/10

Vacuum is out now via War Anthem Records. 

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