ALBUM REVIEW: Vide – Emptiness

In a time of such uncertainty, more and more people are turning to music for comfort and guidance. Belgium-based EMPTINESS are one of those bands, whose sixth studio album Vide is proving people with comfort. Formed in 1998, the band originate from Brussels. The four-piece band comprise of Jérémie Bézier on bass and vocals, Olivier Lomer on guitar and synths, David Alexandre Parquier on synths, and Jonas Sanders on drums. The album follows on from their 2017 hit album, Not for Music.

The first song is entitled Un corps à l’abandon. Starting out with an eerie synth, the track starts off slow, building up to a mid-tempo beat. The lyrics are all in French. However, this does not matter as the music is so hypnotising that the listener gets lost in the sound. Unfortunately, this is the song’s downfall. Most of the production on the song was very focused on the instruments. This therefore meant that the vocals got drowned out.

Vide, incomplet seems to have recognised the error of the first track as it starts off with clear vocals. However, halfway through the song, the instruments seem to dominate. It’s unfortunate as what is heard of the vocals is impressive so far. This is because they are distorted, which makes them haunting. However, in the end, the song is a bit lacklustre as it is easy to zone out of due to the repetitive instruments. Le mal est chez lui and Le sévère merge into each other. Thankfully, the former song leans a bit heavier on the vocals, but still slips back into the instruments taking over. The latter is an interlude. Although the instruments are the main audible thing, they are unique. The intricate synths perfectly complement the guitars and drums.

Détruis‐moi à l’amour, Plus jamais, L’erreur, On n’en finit pas, and L’ailleurs make up the final half of the album. Détruis‐moi à l’amour makes excellent use of an acoustic guitar as the stripped back vibes of the song show a softer side to the band. The pacing of the final songs are all slow. However, this is not a bad thing as this allows the songs to seamlessly transition into one another. Furthermore, as the songs on the first half of the album are all mid-tempo songs, the shift in pacing does not sound jarring.

In conclusion, Vide is not for everyone. If you love eerie synthesisers, and are interested in stellar production, then this is the album for you. However, if you love listening to joyful harmonies, thrashing drum beats and riffing guitars, then maybe skip this album. However, you might find something you like. If you want a bit of background music as you read, then this is the perfect album. Full of mesmerising production, amazing use of synths and haunting instruments, Vide is an album that nearly always hits the mark. But it mostly succeeds in making the listener zone out.

Rating: 6/10

Vide is set for release on February 12th via Season of Mist.

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