Much has changed for Finnish death metal institution Gorephilia since 2018, when the band released a split with fellow Finns Undergang, most notably the death of longtime vocalist Henu in December 2019. In the wake of the loss, his bandmates soldiered on with guitarist Jukka Aho assuming vocal duties, using lyrics Henu penned before his death, for their third album, In the Eye of Nothing.
At nine tracks of varying lengths, In the Eye of Nothing distills death metal down to a pure, thought-out form. Thick, plodding riffs anchor the record, each one sounding like it was carefully chosen and put in its place. Aho’s cavernous vocals contrast the clear production, which allows each piece to stand out, regardless of tempo. This is Gorephilia’s second album to feature these four members and the familiarity shows in the precision and restraint used in their playing.
“In the Eye of Nothing is the clearest manifestation of our vision yet,” Aho says, explaining the album to Decibel. “The production is basically what we’ve been going for since the beginning and it really does justice to what, in my mind, is easily our greatest songwriting and lyrical output ever. Some of the song ideas are brand new, some predating our first demo. I’ve been burning to get this one out. Even though our original singer Henu never got to see this release, it still carries his last lyrics from beyond the grave as a farewell and a tribute.
“Embrace the infinity of empty nothing!”
Gorephilia’s third album is set for release on October 2 via Dark Descent and Me Saco Un Ojo, but you can gaze into nothingness with an exclusive stream now.
