HORROR VACUI

Horror Vacui are a 5 piece Gothic Rock band from Bologna in Italy. They debuted in 2013 with In Darkness You Will Feel Alright and after 2 years of touring, they came back in 2015 with Return of the Empire. The band’s name is an artistic term meaning a ‘fear of empty space’ requiring the artist to fill the whole canvas. This embodies this release as from the cover art to all 8 tracks this is the most complete album I’ve heard in the Goth Rock genre, not a dud in sight.

A listen may convince you its time to retrieve your coffin suitcase from under the bed, chase the moths from your silk vampire shirt, slap on some white powder and blood red lipstick (for the guys) and start backcombing up your Barnett for the next time the HV come to play your home town. Return of the Empire really is like stepping back in time to an 80s Goth Rock night! Think Fields of the Nephilim’s Moonchild without being derivative. 

Every song is a solid belter you could play at a DJ night, but the title track Return of the Empire is my favourite, with the slower Till the Last Drop also deserving a mention. There isn’t a lot else to say as you either like gothic rock or you don’t.

If you do, you can pick up Return of the Empire on Bandcamp for a voluntary donation, but if you just got paid you will want to check out the Marble Vinyl edition, limed to 300 copies, with screen printed insert from their label Avant’s shop (at this point your reviewer dribbles his vampire fangs on keyboard while staring lustily at the lovely vinyl!)

Luki PUKI
03/09/2015