With the world feeling smaller than ever because of modern technology, it can also be a bit overwhelming. Thrust into instant gratification, you also have a bombardment of what is now called ‘content.’ A rather broad, daunting title, those who love music will call it just that and are always looking for something new to discover.
Speaking of which, there is a band out there floating in the stratosphere called Full Nothing, which very much deserves your attention. Together since 2012, they are an international project consisting of Argentinian Musician Nicolás Marcos and Finnish Vocalist Juha Kylmänen. An interesting combination, those who are well-versed in Finnish Rock will recognize Kylmänen’s name from his work with Reflexion and the beloved Gothic Metal outfit For My Pain…
Looking back, Kylmänen and For My Pain… (which once included Nightwish’s Tuomas Holopainen) made a major impact with the simply breathtaking 2003 album Fallen. Unfortunately, the project was all but dead for twenty years until a surprise return in 2024 with two new singles.
Exciting for fans, turning back to Full Nothing, the project first released a self-titled album in 2015. From here, there was 2018’s Somewhere and Nowhere, which also featured guest vocal appearances from the likes of Mats Levén. Progressing forward, it was a relatively quiet time for Full Nothing in the years to follow, but in 2024, they returned in a big way with not one but two full-length studio albums.
First releasing Our Legacy on January 26, 2024, one could argue it was their most diverse yet. A full-on mix of Gothic Metal, Progressive Metal, and several other elements, the eleven songs of Our Legacy are quite impressive. Clearly a product of a yearning to push the sound forward and create the best songs possible, an amazing second album called The Perfect Animal arrived on December 31, 2024.
Yet another self-released record, The Perfect Animal marks Full Nothing’s second album in less than twelve months and fourth album in the last decade. The current wave of activity could promise more from the band sooner than later, but only time will tell. With this in mind, The Perfect Animal is another eleven songs that dive deep into the realms of dark, melodic, ambient Metal.
Once more, Marcos teams with Co-Songwriter/Producer Guillermo De Medio to craft the album. Joining them, Kylmänen lays down vocals on several tracks while several interesting guests partner up on others. Breaking it down, you have South African Vocalist Joel Dickson, The Veer Union’s Crispin Earl, Kate Metz, Mark Hampson, as well as Evergrey’s Tom Englund. An outstanding mix of known and less mainstream names, each offers something different to the music with emotional, powerful performances.
This cast-in-line, The Perfect Animal, is an album full of richly textured songs with catchy vocal hooks, haunting guitars (both in the riffs and solos), and dangling pianos. Highly atmospheric, the layering of instruments and vocals is stunningly executed. With a varied tone throughout, largely because of the different voices featured, some big moments include “Wide Awake,” “Shadow Water,” “Piece of Hell,” “Nocturnal Eyes,” and “Goodbye.”
However, you would be selling yourself short by picking one or two songs to dial into because the entire album is fascinating. Providing further insight, if you are a fan of Gothic-tingling Metal with flickers of Doom Metal and saturation of Progressive Metal elements, all structured in a way that will also strike a chord in Alternative Metal, you will love Full Nothing. It seems almost impossible to understand why the band is not more well-known than they are. Hopefully, The Perfect Animal will get the attention it deserves because Cryptic Rock gives it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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