VOIDFIRE is a Melodic Black Metal band. They formed in 2018 and hail from Białystok, Poland. "Ogień Pustki" (trans: fire of emptiness) was released on February 28, 2020. The first thing that struck me about this debut album was the cover art. I typically don't remark on album art in my reviews, but this one deserves a special mention. The work is by Polish painter, photographer, sculptor Zdzisław Beksiński and was completed in 1976. Specializing in dystopian realism, his work has graced several Black and Death Metal albums over the years. Sadly, Beksiński's life was brought to an abrupt and violent end in 2005. His legacy, however, lives on.

The album comprises six-tracks and at 44 minutes easily qualifies as full-length. Each track opens slowly and methodically, most with an undistorted 'acoustic' melody. This, of course, quickly changes. With every track well over six minutes, there is plenty of sonic real estate for the band to explore several movements per song, allowing them to expand on their chosen theme - "finding artistic inspiration in emotional suffering." The extensive lyrics, credited to Jakub Lisicki, read like poetry, albeit bleak. Krzysztof Sobczak's rasping yet strong vocals emulate an aching remorse/anger, and Jakub M. Zdzienicki's multifaceted guitar work shifts to mirror the lyrical content from melodic tremolo to grating chords to compelling riffs. I should also give a nod to Łukasz Sarnacki's outstanding drumming, especially on the closing and title track, "Ogień Pustki."

Overall, the album is fairly uniform with no real valley or peaks as far as quality. I would be hard pressed to select favorite tracks. I like the brutality of "Kwiat Pustki" (Flower of Emptiness) and the seismic variations of "Sztorm" (Storm). I also love the title of third track, which is simply "-." Is it a hyphen between two bodies of emptiness, is it emptiness itself, is it negation? Lyrically, any could apply. This is the great thing about metal, a thing which the mainstream totally misses . . . metal makes you think and feel. And this is where "Ogień Pustki" excels.

"Ogień Pustki" beckons you to sit back and listen, really listen. If you're like me, you might need your translation software running, but it's worth the effort. VOIDFIRE has put together a debut album perfect for our time of isolation. Like its cover art, the album sears a burning imagine in your mind, marking your psyche with a morbid and lasting fascination.