This fantastic debut from an outfit who are well versed in punk and hardcore ideas, L’Appel Du Vide, fleshes out 9 angsty and introspective tunes that bring to mind legends like Joy Division and The Faint, or even underground heroes such as Crippled Black Phoenix, Lost In Kiev or Russian Circles.

The Chemnitz, Germany group’s atmospheric and synth fueled “Nacht” gets the listen off to a swift and thumping start, where thick guitars from Flatty surround the deep vocals from Rene that swirl with a timeless post-punk flavor. “Verschwiegen” follows and uses Friday’s hard hitting drums amid a dark melody that’s dense with a droning energy, but it’s the cryptic and jagged “Offenbahrungseid” that will make anyone a fan thanks to the bristling energy.

Making our way to the middle, “Woanders” makes great use of Suse’s throbbing bass that suits the muscular guitar progressions and expressively ominous vocals, while “Verbrennen” places Mara on lead vocals for the sludgy, grungy, oddly intimate thundering. “Fleisch,” another creative moment, then places furious drumming in between the nearly dreamy opening of the most intense selection that might just scare off the tame ears. 

Close to the end, the chunky bass and scrappy drums of “Ausgeliefert” can actually get dance floor ready, and “Fragezeichen” exits with abrasive bouts that do retreat to calm buzzing that flirts with New Wave nods.

A visceral and exciting debut full-length, Metro suggests labels like death-rock, synth-wave and darkwave as the songs growl in powerful ways that balance noise and beauty. L’Appel Du Vide occupies a unique position and fans of post-metal, hardcore-punk, retro shoegaze and New Wave on the harder side of the spectrum should familiarize themselves with their gloomy ways and tremendous musicianship.

Rating: A-

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