To set yourself apart such that you stand out quite a bit from the crowd is an exceedingly hard thing to do. Given the sheer breadth and depth that the underground has to offer, it can seem downright insurmountable to make your work not only interesting but draw people by giving the work more than enough legs to stand on. That’s something that any burgeoning band can have a hard time with even as veteran acts from themselves in the same debacle. It has been nine years since the last offering from Nothing that wasn’t a single, yet it’s finally now with their second album in almost twenty years that we see Nothing made damn sure they wouldn’t suffer such a fate.

I was well and truly surprised when I first saw how long Nothing had been around with their sparce activity, but such is oftentimes the case with bands that prioritize life and personal convictions over creating their art in many instances, yet there is a benefit to really taking your time with your work. Making sure that everything falls precisely in the right place and ensuring that your creation is not something that you’re dissatisfied with as everything feels just right, it’s clear with “The Self Repair Manifesto” that Nothing left nothing to chance (no pun intended, I swear). A sprawling concept album that sees a woman greatly betrayed by one who once claimed to act out of love, this is progressive death metal that is far from the most progressive creation we have ever seen from death metal, yet it is in every single track that Nothing was determined to give them distinct identities with the results simply flavorful. A diverse display of power that’s as captivating as it is entertaining for all that it dares to bring to the table, “The Self Repair Manifesto” has real bounce to it that manages to pull you in ever further into its story while never missing an opportunity to pummel you relentlessly in such an all-encompassing performance that is just a real spectacle to become lost within.

This is a creation that Nothing should be incredibly proud of. Undeniably nuanced right from the beginning and bringing naught but further glory to all that the Australian scene has already accomplished in heaps, it is the entirety of “The Self Repair Manifesto” that is sure to stand the test of time. A product of the underground that benefits from the gift of time and artists who know how to use such a gift incredibly wisely, Nothing could take another ten years crafting their next work and it would almost certainly be worth the wait.

LISTEN to “The Self Repair Manifesto” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Nothing on Facebook here.

FOLLOW Nothing on Instagram here.