Review / 200 Words Or Less
Just Went Black
Embracing Emptiness

Assault (2007) Michael

Just Went Black – Embracing Emptiness cover artwork
Just Went Black – Embracing Emptiness — Assault, 2007

Hamburg, Germany is a city that is known more for its architecture than it is for its musical output. In fact, if you were to ask anyone about the music of Hamburg, they'd probably start talking about some classical composer from the 1800's and not a hardcore band of today. And while I'm sure they are popular in their native country, it's my guess that Just Went Black is known more in the U.S. than they are in Germany thanks to their previous full-length release on New Age Records.

Embracing Emptiness is a six-song 10" from the five-piece group. The album is primarily 90's metallic hardcore with a smattering of progressive-hardcore and various melodious nuances. Cuts like "Withered (A Goodbye)" and "Losing Heart" show similarities to the work of Shai Hulud in style. But the highlight of the EP is "Twice as Sure" with its epic-esque Modern Life is War buildups and the inclusion of an acoustic guitar to wrap things up.

If you've missed out on Just Went Black up to this point, I suggest starting with this, their latest release and working your way backwards. You'll thank me later.

8.0 / 10Michael • March 3, 2008

Just Went Black – Embracing Emptiness cover artwork
Just Went Black – Embracing Emptiness — Assault, 2007

Recently-posted album reviews

Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders

After The Dolls
Heavy Medication Records (2026)

Pat Todd is a roots rock and roll incarnate — a relentless road dog, grinding it out night after night with his hot-as-buckshot band, The Rankoutsiders. His shows are raw, electric, and lived-in, a testament to decades on the road. With a career spanning over forty years, Todd has earned a reputation as one of the hardest-working men in the … Read more

Dewey

Summer On A Curb
Howlin’ Banana Records (2026)

If you like your pop melodies wrapped in fuzz, your shoegaze grounded in real songwriting, and your records best experienced front-to-back on a quiet night, Dewey’s debut is absolutely worth your time. There’s something disarmingly unpretentious about Summer On A Curb. Dewey don’t arrive with a manifesto, a scene-policing attitude, or a sense of calculated cool. Instead, this Parisian quartet … Read more

Place Position

Went Silent
Blind Rage Records, Bunker Park, Poptek, Sweet Cheetah (2026)

There’s a certain kind of band that makes sense immediately once you see them live. Place Position is one of those bands. Before Went Silent ever landed on my speakers, I caught them at a show I played in Dayton, and they were the kind of band that quietly steals the night. There were no theatrics, no posturing, just total … Read more