ABYSSAL VACUUM is from Lyon, France. They have a thing for numbers. Each of their four EPs is named in Roman numerals after the year they were written. Each song title is simply numbered in sequence within the album as well as album to album, and also in Roman numerals. Although their debut album, to be released May 2 via Signal Rex, isn’t designated by a number, instead going the self-titled route, each track is titled by longitude and latitude. In the band’s words, they pinpoint “a particular locale doubtlessly portending considerable occult energy.” A quick search on Google maps will, of course, identify each location, but for the more curious listeners a little more sleuthing will be necessary to uncover the significance.

Since the band’s inception in 2017, its lineup has progressively expanded from a single individual, multi-instrumentalist Sébastien Besson, to now four members. In tandem with the band’s growing numbers, there has also been growth in their songwriting and musical execution. Now, influenced by a factor of four rather than one, this seems like a natural outcome. Their vision, however, is unchanged—“tracing the steps of their souls navigating an uncharted Katabasis, a labyrinth where the eroded walls reverberate and echo with haunting and exhilarating visions, pulsing deeper into the boundless chasm, the void between worlds.”

Musically, the album explores the nexus of Atmospheric and Melodic, though to be fair ABYSSAL VACUUM’s style of melodic has more to do with disharmony than harmony. The result is a strange soothing discord. Even the vocals, though certainly unclean, have a certain resonance that is not displeasing. For instance, the vocals of track four, “17°08'51.0"N 88°48'45.0"W” (locale Springfield, Belize), sound like a choir of baritone monks. Okay, maybe demonically possessed, but still surprisingly harmonious. One of my favorite tracks, btw. I should also note that the production values of this album are exceptionally strong.

Other standouts include the closing track “27°51'03.6"N 105°29'45.7"W” (locale Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico) which buries the db needle deep into the brutal red, “44°13'15.2"N 3°21'25.4"E” (locale Hures-la-Parade, France) for its carnal riffs layered with haunting tremolo, and “37°11'18.4"N 86°06'10.3"W” (locale Mammoth Cave, Kentucky) which gets downright Doomish and also has an eerie lead solo.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut. It has been a long time in the coming. And to be technical, with four preceding EPs, Abyssal Vacuum is only a debut insomuch as it’s the band’s first full-length. The songwriting and the execution and the production all clearly demonstrate these lads are not new to the game. Highly recommended, this one.