Photo by Stanley Gravett
Stream VACUOUS’ “Contraband” HERE.
“Contraband” is the latest single from UK death metal outfit VACUOUS. The track comes by way of their In His Blood full-length, set for release on February 28th via Relapse Records.
In His Blood is a compelling mix of blazing speeds, chilling atmospherics, and angular riffing that brings the band into their own unique space. “We’ve talked about having different influences, and it felt like a bit of a dare to push things further,” guitarist Michael Brodsky says. “Back in death metal’s formative days, with bands like Autopsy, Obituary, and Incantation, none of those bands sounded like each other: they were just pushing their collective influences together to the extreme. I think we’re still doing the same thing, just from the point of view of people who grew up in the 2000s.”
From the roaring, quick-fire intensity of the title track to the haunting atmospherics of “Hunger” and the cinematic rumbles of “Contraband,” with In His Blood, VACUOUS pushes the limits of what listeners might expect from death metal.
The album’s lyrics, penned by vocalist Jo Chen, explore a number of topics including horror films, serial killers, school shootings, toxic masculinity, and the Global North and South divide.
Of today’s single, Chen comments, “The song ‘Contraband’ is about the thirty-nine Vietnamese migrants who were suffocated in a lorry trying to come over to England. It was such a tragedy, but it was blink and you miss it; news today and gone tomorrow.
“I was born in London, but my family are from Malaysia, which is historically a poor country,” he continues. “There’s such a juxtaposition when I go back there. Here in the West, generally, people are often so comfortable. The only access that some people have to extreme poverty and violence is online.”
Listen to VACUOUS’ “Contraband” on YouTube HERE and on all streaming services HERE.
Watch VACUOUS’ previously released video for “In His Blood” HERE and stream “Stress Positions” HERE.
In His Blood will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats. Find preorders at Relapse.com HERE.
In conjunction with the release of In His Blood, VACUOUS has confirmed a UK headlining tour this April. See all confirmed dates below.
VACUOUS Live:
3/01/2025 Life After Death Fest @ Walthamstow Trades Hall – London, UK * In His Blood Record Release Show
4/11/2025 Moor Beer Vaults – London, UK
4/12/2025 The Star Inn – Ashford, UK
4/13/2025 The Hope & Ruin – Brighton, UK
4/14/2025 The Gryphon – Bristol, UK
4/15/2025 Billy Bootleggers – Nottingham, UK
4/16/2025 The Lubber Fiend – Newcastle, UK
4/17/2025 The Flying Duck – Glasgow, UK
4/18/2025 Damaged Goods – Leeds, UK
One look at the striking, blood-soaked cover art for VACUOUS’ second album In His Blood, and you know the London-based death metallers aren’t messing around. Examining ideas of violence and voyeurism, the album’s title was inspired by a disturbing image the band came across on social media.
“It was a picture of a man who had killed someone, just posing, standing in their blood,” says Chen. “It got me thinking about how we consume images of death: it’s become so normalized.”
“The internet is like a graveyard of people’s trauma,” adds Brodsky. “Seeing all that does something to you as a person.”
VACUOUS focuses less on shock value and more on emotional response. And while they definitely see themselves as death metal, they prioritize atmosphere over genre in their music. “We come from different musical backgrounds,” says Brodsky, “but we all like music that’s dark, raw, and atmospheric; that has a bleak but honest feel to it.”
Brodsky and Chen formed VACUOUS at the end of 2019. They started as a trio but when the pandemic hit, they hunkered down to write and realized their ambitions demanded a bigger band. They’re now a five-piece, joined by Max Southall on drums, Ezra Harkin on guitars and Zak Mullard on bass. Their debut album, Dreams Of Dysphoria, came out in 2022, but it’s with their new, second album In His Blood that they’ve really hit their stride.
In His Blood was recorded at Holy Mountain Studios in Hackney with Stanley Gravett, who Brodsky and Chen agree was crucial to the finished product.
“This was the first time we’ve had any external help with arrangements which has been really good,” notes Brodsky. “He was super invested in the record and helped us to unify everything. I’m really proud of how it sounds.”
For the album’s eye-catching cover, the band wanted the viewer to feel as though they’d just stumbled upon a crime scene. It was shot in an abandoned building in the middle of a cemetery in London, by photographer Oscar Foster-Kane.
“Relentless, pummeling death metal.” – Metal Injection
“This album has created a standard of originality against which death metal releases this year should be measured. It’s an example of how to be true to the spirit of the death metal genre without becoming a tribute band to your influences and is one of those albums you can let play on repeat for an entire afternoon.” – No Clean Singing
“…one of the best bands coming out from the UK for death metal right now.” – Toilet Ov Hell
“Bursting forth with old school fury and contemporary sound, ‘In His Blood’ is an exciting reveal for the band’s forthcoming album of the same name.” – MetalSucks on In His Blood’s title track
VACUOUS:
Michael Brodsky – guitar
Jo Chen – vocals
Max Southall – drums
Ezra Harkin – guitar
Zak Mullard – bass
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