Review Summary: One of their best releases so far.
One of the more elusive doom/sludge metal acts returned after six years with another monster of an album. Bongripper have mastered their craft, composing massive, punishing tunes and
Empty does deliver in bulk. After the 10th anniversary of their magnum opus,
Satan Worshipping Doom, the quartet seems to have taken the respective gargantuan riff levels as the starting point of their latest affair. During the hour-long listen, this sonic roller coaster will take you from the murkiest progressions, occasionally augmented by scorching, post-metal guitar leads, to mesmerizing feedback drone. The magic lies in the way the band rips through each segment, varying tempos and grooves. None of them overstay their welcome, developing constantly. After the two mammoth cuts, “Nothing” & “Remains”, “Forever” introduces a more mournful atmosphere, alongside post-rock inspired crescendos. As expected, the climax reveals gritty, low tuned chords, seguing into the title track, which sums up the entire record in all its 21-minute glory. With so much going on, you don’t have to listen to
Empty as a whole to grasp its dark beauty, however, as usually for the genre, it’s worth the extended immersion into the seemingly endless descent of low end riffs and noise. At this point, Bongripper have become one of the most reliable groups for a quality experience of heavy, instrumental music. Their continuous forays into sludgy doom metal turn more refined with each release.
