Vastum Promo 2015B_web [photo credit Al Cummings]
Photo by Al Cummings

Vastum - "Empty Breast" (Premiere)

The violence that San Fransisco’s Vastum sing about is sexual. That’s nothing new when it comes to death metal (see: “Fucked by a Knife”), but neither is the band’s Bolt Thrower-ish sound. Where their predecessor evoked the sound of tank treads, Vastum are going for the merciless hum of Sybian machines on their upcoming new album Hole Below.

“Empty Breast,” the final song on the album, touches on all of the band’s strengths. A sheen of murk keeps the driving riffs just obscure enough to create some atmosphere without making the music incomprehensible. A frightening coda wraps the tune and record up nicely as well. Vastum’s lyrics are another highlight. Like the recent Slugdge album, the band delivers catchy couplets and some both humorous and thought provoking images. The Oedipal issues explored in their last album, Patricidal Lust, remain on display. To whit:

“I gave you this womb
To fill with your desires
Shame and fear
Mother issues to eat
Father issues to suck
Give us a purpose
A pulpit on which to spew
Empty breast
No milk left
Empty testis
Milked to death”

Grab some Lubriderm and a few tissues, lock the door, listen to the song and then confess your own dirty thoughts in the comments below.

—Joseph Schafer

Hole Below is out on November 6 via 20 Buck Spin. Follow Vastum on Facebook.