Empty Machines’ “Vicious Vulture”: A Dark and Powerful Anthem Against Toxicity
There’s this feeling that comes that put your mood down. Especially where you feel like people are just circling you, waiting for you to mess up, you know that feeling? It’s like you are trying your best to move forward, but there is this negative energy hovering right over your head where you can’t even focus on what you really wanna do. And that’s why I always say music is the food for the soul, so if you need a song that perfectly matches that moody, high-tension feeling, you have to check out the latest release from Empty Machines called “Vicious Vulture”.
If you haven’t heard of them, then worry not. Empty Machines is the solo project of a guy named Thomas Crawford, who operates out of his home studio in Glasgow, Scotland. The thing is Thomas is a true DIY musician. He writes, records, and mixes absolutely everything himself. Which means he has that total creative control, so you know the music is exactly how he wants it to be heard. For every solo musician , once a while after creating your record, you’d realize this person or artist will fit perfectly for your track and therefore you need them on it.
This is what happened to this record, Empty Machines teamed up with a guest vocalist named Jodie Helena, and her haunting voice adds a serious chill to the whole vibe. Before this new release, Thomas put out two singles called Luna and Velvet Sky, which brought a lot of love, even getting played on BBC Radio 1 where people called the music absolutely massive. But “Vicious Vulture” is the result of two full years of writing and experimenting in his studio, and you can really hear the growth.
Now this track “Vicious Vulture” is a brilliant mix of alternative rock, electronic beats, and dark, ambient textures. The way the track builds is really intriguing, it beautifully starts off slow and brooding, building up this incredible tension with moody guitar work and deep electronics. Then, Jodie’s vocals slide in, and the whole song just opens up. It feels huge and cinematic, like the background music to a dark thriller movie where the main character is running through the rain.
The theme behind the track is wholesome, thus the phrase vicious vulture brings to mind a predator that sits and watches, waiting to feed on weakness. The song is all about dealing with toxic people, dark thoughts, or difficult situations that try to drain your energy. And this is what many of us fail to do, a lot of the time we just let those dark thoughts and toxic people overwhelm us, consuming us and influence our choices. The song captures that heavy feeling of anxiety and pressure, but it also gives you a sense of release as the music builds.
It’s about recognizing the negative forces around you and finding a way to push through the intensity of it all. Sometimes you’ve gotta tell people what it is, don’t entertain any bad energy, don’t let them prey on your weaknesses, but rather push them away and move on. It’s the perfect track to throw on when you are staring out a rainy window, going for a late-night drive, or just trying to clear your head after a stressful day. Thomas has managed to make a song that is dark and heavy, but also incredibly beautiful at the exact same time.
So if you appreciate independent artists who pour their actual hearts and souls into their home studio setups, you need to support this guy. “Vicious Vulture” is streaming right now on Spotify. Go pull it up, grab your best pair of headphones, and turn the volume all the way up. Glasgow is definitely putting out some incredible music right now, and Empty Machines is leading thecharge.
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