Vacuous – In His Blood (Review)

This is the second album from UK death metallers Vacuous.

2022’s Dreams of Dysphoria was a record that stood out from the crowd with its own take on a darker version of old-school death metal. As a result, I’ve been really looking forward to In His Blood. Can lightning strike twice?

Apparently so, albeit with actually a different and potentially greater impact this time. It’s impressive stuff.

Vacuous have taken their compelling vision for death metal further on In His Blood. This is a record that does more with the style than is normal, allowing the band to spread their malignant touch wider and further, while still retaining death metal’s brutal core. Remarkably, they accomplish this by trimming the average length of the songs when compared to their debut; In His Blood is a lean and tight 32 minutes. No filler, no interludes, just killer death metal throughout.

There’s a lot to explore on In His Blood. Old-school death metal sits rotting at the heart of the band, but around this are other influences from across the death, thrash, punk, and doom spectrums, all delivered in a grim death metal framework. Raw energetic heaviness, eerie melodies, spectral atmospheres, layered darkness, nuanced worldbuilding, and more, are all used effectively.

Each song on In His Blood has a voice of its own. All are recognisable in their own right, while lending their well-developed identities to the whole. In His Blood feels complete and well-rounded because of this, and has a diversity of delivery that’s matched by its quality levels. It’s all very good, very enjoyable, and very well-realised and executed.

Vacuous have returned, refining their death metal onslaught. In His Blood is an album that lives up to their early promise, delivering a slab of death metal that has more personality than most. In His Blood is an essential listen for any fan of gruesome death metal.