Great Cold Emptiness - Immaculate Hearts Will Triumph (2023)

Creating one of the most majestic Atmospheric Post-Black/Doom Metal releases of recent days, today we have Great Cold Emptiness and their third full-length release “Immaculate Hearts Will Triumph”. Brilliantly blending dramatic atmospherics with crushing vocals and highly melancholic passages, this release is as cathartic as they come. If you enjoy bands like Germ, Violet Cold, Alcest, etc., this outfit should become your new favorite band.

Opening with the brilliant “The Patron Saint of Whalewatching”, we get the traditional lush keyboards and heavy guitars combination but with a very dramatic emphasis on dreamy atmospheres and ravishing vocals, courtesy of Meghan Wood. The Germ vibe is quite high, but it shifts as Doom and purely atmospheric elements are thrown into the mix. The track “To Die for the Ideal” is the perfect example of this, as its moody tempo changes and dreamy atmospherics are unrivaled.

Far from being a mellow release, tracks like “She Sang of Hyperborea” deliver hectic passages that nicely blend into ethereal female vocals blended in with atmospheric keyboards. The band’s ability to switch between fast-paced passages into highly melancholic interludes and Doomy onslaughts is top notch and quite unique. However, not only does the band incorporate the previously mentioned elements, but they also experiment with Dark/Cold-wave and Post-Punk influences, creating very unique and engaging pieces like “With Friends Like These”.

Overall, “Immaculate Hearts Will Triumph” is a bastion of creativity with lush atmospherics, heavy distorted guitars, and a plethora of different moods and vibes. We have probably listened to this release like 30 times and we still find new magical elements in each spin. While having plenty of familiar influences, the band blends them into their own unique and engaging style, delivering one of the most intense and magical releases of 2023.

Label: Flowing Downward

Release: February 25th, 2023

Genre: Atmospheric Post-Black/Doom Metal

Country: USA