This is the second album from Swiss Death Metallers Nihilo.
First off I have to say – what a stunning piece of album artwork!
After a sample-heavy intro, the bass-heavy sound thuds out of the speakers with explosive chugging and heavy riffing. The underground recording allows the band to sound earthy and natural. It’s a case of less polish, more spit.
This has an Old-School feel but the main vibe is one of Classic Death Metal played well and with a love of the genre.
Swedish Death Metal is incorporated into their sound but there’s more than just this stylistic reference point.
The singer has a great voice which sounds utterly feral and seems to have serrated edges. High shrieks add colour and there’s no fault to be found with the vocals.
The songs are well written and there are some good choices in riffs. The drumming in particular is enjoyable – no messing around; he provides a strong backbone to the tracks while adding in some nice fills and rolls to mix things up a bit.
Near the end of the album they get bolder and start to experiment a bit more; the extra instrumentation and orchestration on Shields of Justice is as unexpected as it is masterful; the final track Dum Spiro Spero is a 20 minute Doom-filled behemoth. Maybe areas to further develop in the future?
A solid album.
Favourite Track: Last Man Standing. Mid-paced, chugging and demolishing combined with blasting brutality.
Wonderbox Metal 