LUMINOUS VAULT is a duo from NYC specializing in Blackened Death Metal with an Industrial bent.  The band recently released its debut full-length, "Animate the Emptiness," via Profound Lore Records.  Mixing those three genres effectively is quite the task; thus, let us see if we can shed any light on the impact of LUMINOUS VAULT upon the listener.

That tried-and-true lesson learned so many decades ago not to judge an album y its cover certainly applies here.  As demonstrated, the cover is full of life, color, and an ethereal air of mystery.  Tragically, the music contained within cannot live up to that elite standard mandated by such an auspiciously fortuitous cover.

When listening to the album, it is not long before one realizes what the band has set out to achieve:  a hybrid of Blackened Death metal and Industrial.  Therefore, the album is rife with the steady thump of the drum machine juxtaposed with riffs aimed at creating an atmosphere of woe.  Other bands have tried such a risky recipe and pulled it off.  Names like BLUT AUS NORD, DODHEIMSGARD, and early ULVER all attest to having a successful hybridization as such.  Unfortunately, though, LUMINOUS VAULT seems to be fighting an uphill battle with this album.

The first track, "Invoke Radiant Gleam," is not the ideal opening statement.  Compared to other tracks on the album, it is not the standout.  It is impossible to have a second chance at a first impression and it definitely does not bode well for an album not to begin on its best footing.

The following track, "Incarante Flames Arise," is a bit of an improvement with its catchy drum-machine-infused introduction.  The GODFLESH influence pervades but unlike the guitar fireworks of Justin Broadrick, the tone is not thick enough to compare.  It is as if there is an auditory blank space in the frequency range being used, a gap of sorts in tone and while the distorted bass helps make up for some of that deficiency, it cannot do it all alone!

This brings us to the production of the album.  As previously mentioned, there is a glaring hole where the thin guitar is absent from the mix.  The overall impression is that though there is an overarching tone to the album, it is missing the required girth.  Without those magnanimous mid-range tones, the music comes across as empty.

The album picks up a bit toward the halfway point.  Tracks like the fourth, "Regeneration," are much stronger than previous efforts.  This trend is continued with the following track, "Earth Daemon," a much stronger offering.  While this uptick in quality serves the album well, it does hide the mundane air that is choking the listener throughout.

It is always disappointing to give an album a "bad" review.  Having decades of experience playing music, I know firsthand of the effort put into making a full-length album.  It is certainly no small feat; however, "Animate the Emptiness" still cannot be redeemed.  Its lackluster opening destroys any momentum that could have potentially ignited.  Sadly, LUMINOUS VAULT is a band whose incandescent light is darkened by lack of focus, meandering riffs, poor tone, and a general confusion regarding direction.