A meditation on pain, trauma, anger, and ultimately the meaning of life, Embrace the Void is the new hard-hitting EP from Somnolence.

By Graeme Smith

The EP starts, unexpectedly, with an Épilogue. It’s a moody, lowkey introduction to an album that refuses to follow convention. Just as we’re lulled into a sense of false security, screamed vocals and hard riffs come in, setting up what is to come from the collection.

Walls slows things down for a simmering and soulful moment that showcases the mournful character of the vocals. There’s a theatricality about its composition that keeps things interesting as it unfolds, finally arriving a big finish. FMS hits hard with a machine gun instrumental and vocals that swap between passionate howls and melodic moments.

Petrichor provides some striking contrast through a slow and simmering moment full of reflection. Birth of Titan is a suitably epic number before All Good Things brings things to a dark and shuddering close.

There’s a lot packed into Embrace the Void‘s six track and sub-20 minute runtime. It’s an EP that shows us what it is to be human. While the heaviness of some of it won’t be for everyone, if you like your rock with some fiery catharsis you’ll find a lot to love about this record.

Embrace the Void is out now, available to buy as a digital album on Bandcamp. You can give it a listen below.