Nihilo: Dum Spiro Spero

The album cover on this one is just about perfect. A bleak landscape, populated by strange creatures and ruins of all sorts, the image is suggestive of death and decay, a reminder that one-time greatness often leads to destruction. Covers like this almost invoke the music, as if the landscape needs something to wind its way through the dark spaces, a further reminder that much of life is bleak and that death is a firm reality.

This Swiss band has been going at it for ten years now, not a band amount of time for an underground extreme metal band. Their previous output includes one full-length, three EPs, and one single—all available only on vinyl and digital download. This is their second full-length release.

Even though I haven't listened to this band's other work, I suspect that they haven't shifted too much from release to release. After all, the music here is dark and heavy extreme metal, not the sort of thing bands play with casually in between writing pop hooks or top 40 hits. Fans of extreme metal will find much here to enjoy—strong and driving guitar parts, pounding drums and bass, and harsh vocals.

I really enjoyed listening to this album. The music is consistently hard-driving and extremely heavy. I especially liked the guitar parts. Not only do they establish some killer grooves, they also deliver some memorable solo passages that bring some melodic flair to things. I did think that the vocals were a tad too harsh at times. I know that, with bands like this, the vocals aren't always meant to be easy to follow, but some singers prefer to have a slightly clearer articulation.

The best thing about this album, in my opinion, is the twenty minute title track. The other songs are plenty good, but I was impressed that this band could pull off a long track without being overly boring or repetitive. Most of the album consists of relatively short, pounding, tracks, the kind that make a good impression and then move on quickly. The last track, though, hangs around for a much longer time. I worried that the band would not be able to sustain interest over a longer time, but they put my worries at ease. This band is great at the heavy and the pounding, but they are also good at slowing things down a little, giving the music opportunity to breathe. I was impressed.

For those who enjoy good underground extreme metal, this may be just release you've been waiting for.

Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. On the Brink
3. Infected
4. Last Man Standing
5. Risen from the Ashes
6. Death Swamp
7. Homicidal Pleasures
8. Lethargy
9. Shields of Justice
10. Dum Spiro Spero

Added: June 24th 2014
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1911
Language: english

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