Formed as a collaboration between bassist Samuel Smith (Artificial Brain, Gath Šmânê) and Mario Diaz de León (Oneirogen) back in 2015, Luminous Vault merged elements of black/death metal with industrial and other electronic music. 2017’s Charismata left an impression on me and showcased the electronic side developing even further from their first EP Communion, and I’ve been waiting ever since to hear just how the band would progress and blur the lines between styles. Five years later Luminous Vault’s debut full-length and follow-up to their earlier work has arrived in the form of Animate the Emptiness, and it expands both the harsh and atmospheric sides of their sound in equal capacity. Sometimes the album emphasizes blistering black metal and booming industrial beats while other times it lightens up towards brighter tones that feel a bit more post metal, but no matter where it goes there is plenty to draw you back for more.
The band’s EPs had some elements that brought forth a bit of a death/doom feel, but on Animate the Emptiness the sound channels a bit more black metal mixed with all sorts of electronic music. A few passages do have just a slight hint of that tonality, but when songs like “Divine Transduction” break into a flurry of blast beats it feels like they’re channeling quite a bit of that classic second-wave sound. What’s most appealing about Luminous Vault’s approach is that despite the similar construction of some tracks, the subtle shifts make them all feel just a little different. Sometimes they fall right into Godflesh and early Pitchshifter territory with a much harsher industrial sheen, while other times the beats have a softer and more approachable tone that has some of post metal’s shimmering atmosphere and heavier climaxes laid over top of it. In between all this the black metal tends to come roaring in to keep things abrasive and in your face, and you’ll notice that “Regeneration” almost sounds like a deconstructed black metal song fused with post metal. I also found myself thinking of Mysticum and Blacklodge quite a bit throughout Animate the Emptiness, as when Luminous Vault kicks up the BPM and blasts the listener with mechanical blasts there are similarities to those two bands. It likely wasn’t easy to keep the cold, unwelcoming tones of black metal and fuse it with warmer and brighter melodies, but Luminous Vault has done just that while still bludgeoning with pulsating rhythms. There is room for them to experiment even further, but it can’t be denied how strong many of the hooks are throughout the album.
Despite the bursts of brighter textures and melodic moments on Animate the Emptiness, the vocals remain on the harsh side of the spectrum courtesy of Mario Diaz de León. Opening track “Invoke Radiant Gleam” gives you a good idea of what to expect, as the initial verses have a raspier scream/growl that move into a more death metal style growl as the song progresses. There are also moments that sound appropriately like Justin Broadrick’s performances with Godflesh, but the performance feels more rooted in traditional black and death metal for much of the runtime. While there are subtle shifts in pitch throughout Animate the Emptiness, the vocals do start to run together by the end of the album and served more as a way to enhance the harshness of some of the instrumentation rather than acting as a focal point. I’d actually be interested in seeing some of the modulation and distortion effects de León used for Oneirogen incorporated into Luminous Vault, as it would bring some additional variety and could fit well with what the band is going for.
There are a few elements I’d like to see expanded upon and tweaked in the future, particularly when it comes to the vocals, but that doesn’t take away from how entrancing this album has been. Luminous Vault has taken the cold sheen of industrial black metal and other adjacent genres and fused it with warmer melodies that give them a sound a bit different from some of their influences. The material bludgeons consistently yet has quite a few hooks that will stick with listeners for some time to come, and that speaks to the level of songwriting on display. Animate the Emptiness is available from Profound Lore Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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