"I can smell the flesh of my sisters / I watch their skin / As it bubbles and blisters..."
Against a dark wind, the darkness to empowered light of "I'm a White Hot Blade" (Witches are Wicked)", by Manchester, England alt-punk band The Empty Page, lives inside bohemian post grunge folk to a blend of punk straddled power pop / post rock, from seething to fist in the air actualization. Yes, that was too long a sentence but The Empty Page crafts such an emotionally cinematic sound that it's difficult not to prattle on, to figure out what I am sensing. This duo always brings it in such a creative way. So much so that this track which is well over 3 minutes long feels like one breath. It floods over you and then it's over. It is that good in building their vision, it is that artistically smart. Little things like coming at you with verses that are so brooding with that rim click beat, droning bass that when the chorus comes in you feel appropriately blown away. The chorus with such a cool, powerfully complex guitar sound evocative of an era in my head that I necessarily can't define but it fills me with adrenaline.
The Empty Page says this song is about "feminine power" and that is so exquisitely evident by the depth of the metaphorical poetry, stunning really and what is really stunning (always) are the voice that gives us the poetry. Yes, I absolutely adore Kelly Bishop's vocal countenance, the way she displays whatever emotional patina she needs to on her words. I love the sound, character of her voice. I love the way that voice has a wide dynamic range. The way her voice belts out, the sustain as an added gut punch and the way it can ring in high places like a pretty bird.
"Twist bark and twine into a shrine
I wanna let go of all these things that stop me from dancing.
I want to climb the hill where they died
Throw my arms wide and breathe in their rage
I am the fire
I am the power
Of a white hot blade
I'm a white hot blade
I want to climb the hill where they died
Throw my arms wide and breathe in their rage
I am the fire
I am the power
Of a white hot blade
I'm a white hot blade
witches are wicked and wizards are wise"
The Empty Page is (at it's core ) Kelly Bishop and Lee Gibbs and "I'm a White Hot Blade" (Witches are Wicked) is from their latest album "Imploding", hope you dive in.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRvo9IV6VKi6HRdzJRXwawA
https://theemptypage.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thmptypg
https://www.facebook.com/thmptypg
https://x.com/thmptypg
Manchester alt-punk band The Empty Page recorded their early demos in a warehouse in Ancoats, Manchester before it became a hipster paradise. Those demos were heard by Gggarth Richardson (RATM, Biffy Clyro, Melvins), which led to their debut album, Unfolding being recorded with him in Vancouver, Canada.
The band released the 7-inch single When The Cloud Explodes in Feb 2019. Airplay (Steve Lamacq/Gideon Coe BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing, Radio 1) and glowing reviews (Louder Than War, Overblown, God Is In The TV...) followed. The band remained on Spotify's 'The Punk List' playlist (alongside Fontaines DC, Idles, Big Joanie, Fat White Family, Idles, Squid et al) for months.
Follow-up single He's Very Good At Swimming took a darker and more challenging route, thus support this time came from different camps, with 6 Music/BBC Introducing's Tom Robinson playing it twice in one weekend and calling it "immensely powerful". Third single of 2019 You're Tame followed suit with yet more positive blog coverage and who doesn't like a video full of kittens?
In 2022, the band returned with disco goth banger Dry Ice, a song about going out, and followed it up with Level Sedentary, a song about staying in. In May 2023 came a song about the end of the world, Big Nasty Palpitations.
A new single for 2024, Cock of the Fifth Year, tackles male entitlement.
Their long-awaited second album Imploding dropped on 10 May 2024.
The Empty Page, Manchester UK, alt rock, post punk, Goth pop, Gothic, industrial punk, post rock, new music, "I'm a White Hot Blade" (Witches are Wicked), mental health, survivorship, feminine power,
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