Live Review from Underground 64:
Setlist:
- 1. Hold My Hand
- 2. Through Your Blood
- 3. This Is You
- 4. My Friend
- 5. Everything
If you have never heard of Empty Tomb, it is not uncommon that from the look of their name, you think of them as a death metal band or something similar. But in fact the inspiration of their name comes from the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and they are five incredibly talented, versatile musicians who share the same goal, same ambition, if not the same religion. Having influenced by bands like, to name a few, Jimmy Eat World, The Get Up Kids, Whence He Came and Buddhiston, Empty Tomb’s music is reflective, melancholic and deeply sincere. Their hard work and persistence have also made them one of the most popular bands within the local indie music scene.
Starting off with Hold My Hand, the venue is filled with a retrospective vibe by the serenity of the intro. It feels as if you’re standing on a cliff in front of the ocean, with your arms wide open, embracing and appreciating gratefully all the wonderful things you have had in life. Next up is their hit single, Through Your Blood, which begins with a series of sweet and warm clean guitar picking underscored by upbeat stick-clicking on the drums. The “Let’s go!” that follows launches into strings of anticipatory verses that develop for the emotionally explosive half-time chorus, “I was the one, trapped in the darkness, lost control. You’re the one, rescuing me, through your blood”.
Empty Tomb doesn’t appear to have a fixed setlist for each of their shows, and this is why I strongly request for This Is You. Everything in this track is especially catchy – the drum groove from the verse, the sentimental chord progression on the keyboard, the sustained guitar solo, the vocalist’s beseeching vocal quality, and the refined bass lines. They all merge together flawlessly and reach deep into your soul (at least giving me goose bumps throughout the whole song!).
My friend is a new tune of theirs and has more of a post-rock touch. While Everything, as the vocalist notes, is a love song not for a girlfriend, but his father. It features more emotional variations on the vocalist’s tone, from obedient in the verses to wailing in the chorus. Intensely moving indeed!
Empty Tomb is perfect in any sense, but the only problem they got is that they seem to take forever to produce their debut album! Guys! Please! Hopefully the compilation CD they are releasing with a few other indie bands in late August will at least quench my craving a bit.
Nicholas
Live Review from Underground 43:
like a slow dance through heavy rock, they’re meaty yet strangely relaxed. i can easily imagine myself leisurely picking and smelling a scarlet rose as they play. noisy and yearning, it’s not quite a waltz, but not quite regular rock either. they clearly know what they’re doing, but i don’t. a bit sad and perhaps mournful, but still with hope. sad, slow moving and noisy, i feel like i’m trying to make my way through a patch of blackberry bushes, making slow progress but frequently getting stuck by thorns in inconvenient places that i have to carefully remove before going deeper.
Amos
Live Review from Underground 20:
Our first ever Christian rock band at Underground, played a pleasant medium-pace soft rock with lots of dreamy keyboards (very 1970s meets Chris De Burgh). Track 3 is a debut song (“just written today”) called “The Day is Coming”, a paean to peace, prosperity and (no) pollution. Track 4 sees Empty Tomb rocking out the most although Track 5 sees them play with gusto that at moments is reminsicent of early-U2. Hints of the Christian leanings of the band heard intermittently, this band is fun to hear and to watch. Overall musicianship is high and this band deserves to play on more stages.
Nick Lovatt
the photo r great !!! thx underground ~~ hope can see more great underground & local gigs in the future ~~~” Jimmy
