EP Review: Olympus – L’appel Du Vide (Self Released)

Essex melodic death metal band Olympus will release their new EP, L’appel Du Vide, on 6th November 2026.

The five-piece combine the aggression of traditional death metal with modern melodic elements, focusing on strong songwriting, dynamic arrangements and memorable performances. Following the positive reception to their previous EP, Knowing It Shall Wake, Olympus return with a three-track release that explores darker and more personal themes. L’appel Du Vide, French for ‘the call of the void’, tackles self-worth, depression and destructive thoughts, while ultimately turning towards connection, resilience and hope.

The band features Jason Dugal on vocals, Dan Barratt on guitar and vocals, Ruaidhri Conroy on guitar, Reece Cash on bass and Oz Hassan on drums and vocals.

L’appel Du Vide may be short overall, but Olympus make sure they use every available second, with the title track kicking things off in style. The driving riff that leads the song in is killer and, as the drums grow into the track, I very quickly know I’m going to love this. It’s catchy as hell and jam-packed with heaviness and groove. The vocals come in, harsh and aggressive, adding another killer layer to this superb opener. As the lead guitars drop melodic lines over the intensity, it’s elevated to even higher levels. At nearly six minutes in length, Olympus have plenty of time to throw more variety into the song, with changes in tempo and some nice heavy backing vocals all keeping things moving.

Allowing the melody to shine at times is a smart move as well, but overall, this is just a powerfully heavy and intense banger that deserves a pit. While the production is a little off when the song is at its heaviest, that rawness probably just adds to the overall intensity.

Breathe allows us time to breathe with a much shorter, sub-two-minute song that has a real emotional thread running through those melodies. It’s a very catchy song, mostly instrumental apart from a couple of shouts, and showcases Olympus’ talent and creativity very nicely before Misguided closes out L’appel Du Vide.

Back up to around the six-minute mark, and it’s another top, top song. A soft, melancholic melody leads us in before the drums and riffs take over, bringing catchiness and groove without losing the feeling created by the melody. The verses come in at a quicker pace, with powerful vocals. It’s intense and fiery, but never loses the beat and groove. Being a longer song, there’s time for more creativity and playing with tone and speed. I adore the driving melody backing the harsh vocals. It’s a gorgeous contrast and leads us back into the softened melody from the start. Tapping drums start to lead us back towards the light, where the heavy vocals, drums and bass work with a layer of melody, and I must admit to feeling genuinely emotional and very impressed.

L’appel Du Vide is a phenomenal release. It’s catchy as hell, heavy and intense, but there is an emotional side to these songs that hit me harder than I expected. The song writing is superb, creating music that make you feel something but also make you want to bang your head and get into the pit. It’s a glorious combination of heaviness, melody and emotion, and Olympus have absolutely smashed it out of the park here. Three songs that leave me wanting more and this goes up there as one of my favourite EPs released this year.

Track List

 1 – L’appel Du Vide
2 – Breathe
3 – Misguided

Olympus Links

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