Vacuous - Katabasis EP

Lost in the depths of the earth.

(Originally submitted to the Metal Archives on March 4th 2022)

For how influential and present the UK has been in the death metal realm, in my mind I never quite acknowledged them the same way I did the US and Sweden. I mean sure, they had Bolt Thrower and Napalm Death, but outside of those the country didn’t pop up on my radar the same way as the others. Things have changed in recent years though, with plenty of the country’s exports being notable heavy-hitters in the caverndeath microgenre, such as Cruciamentum and Grave Miasma. The underground (no, not the metro) has become quite busy and has no shortage of good releases, such as the topic of today’s review, Vacuous’ Katabasis.

This release’s bread and butter is riffs. There are very few moments during which the band doesn’t just pulverise the listener into dust, with only a few leads showing up through the EP’s 20 minute runtime. That being said, the band’s more dank and cavernous take on Bolt Thrower is quite successful, as things always shift and don’t remain static for long, if at all. From the crushing introduction of the title track, to the winding and fluid structure of “Blood Eagle”, Vacuous constantly shuffles their deck and they manage to provide an experience that’s as fun as it is crushing.

As for the aforementioned leads, they’re a welcome change of pace from the band’s onslaught and help spice things up a good amount. Their presence in the songs adds another layer of atmosphere that’s provided by the riffs themselves. From minimal lead lines such as the one on “Voluntary Immurement”, to a short solo on “Unmarked Grave”, things are kept reigned in, with the band keeping things tasteful, and their presence is felt without them being intrusive.

The production further elevates the songs, making them go from heavy to downright crushing. The main star of the show is the bass, which while not doing anything particularly interesting, is high in the mix, its decrepit and crackling tone propping up the earthy guitars, like a death metal Atlas of sorts. The drums are also quite solid, providing a strong rhythmic backbone and driving forward the already pummelling riffs. The mix is also quite good, with the instruments having their own room, though things get a bit blurry during the faster moments present here.

While this EP is quite solid, it’s not without flaws. Despite clocking in at 20 minutes with just 5 tracks it still drags at times, and some of the songs feel like they go on a bit longer than they should. There’s also the fact that they blend together a lot despite there being quite a few memorable moments in each track, which is due to the EP being a bit one dimensional in nature, providing little other than unrelenting heaviness.

An intense display of force, Katabasis is a release that’s guaranteed to satisfy anyone looking for a fix of riffy death metal. It’s a bit plain, sure, and there’s definitely room for improvement, but the foundation is already laid down, and it’s pretty sturdy all things considered. Thankfully, the band has mentioned having recorded their full-length debut last year, and it’s one I’m definitely looking forward to hearing, hopefully in the near future.

Highlights: Katabasis, Voluntary Immurement, Blood Eagle

Rating: 80%

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