Album Review – Sothoris / Domus Omnium Mortuorum (2025)

Enter the house of all the dead to the sound of the scorching newborn spawn by this ruthless Blackened Death Metal horde from Poland.

Forged in the fires of Miłosław, Poland in 2016, the ruthless Blakened Death Metal horde Sothoris arises from their Stygian lair once again to darken the skies to the sound of their newborn spawn, entitled Domus Omnium Mortuorum, or “house of all the dead” in English, following up on their 2022 sophomore album Wpiekłowstąpienie. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Krzysztof Kostencki at Tetra Wave Studio, with artwork by Bartosz Szczepaniak and Maksymilian Krasoń, and band photo session by Maciej “Wuja” Chomik, the new album by vocalist Raven, guitarists Hex and Setrial, bassist Lord Ghash, and drummer Hrist sees the band offer their trademark mixture of Black Metal ferocity and Death Metal power while its lyrical layer showcases a study of human wickedness, being therefore a must-listen for fans of extreme music with a deep and dark meaning.

A wicked intro gradually morphs into a scathing beast named Wieczornica (“evening party”), spearheaded by the hellish riffs by Hex and Setrial, whereas Szkarłat (“scarlet”) offers a more visceral display of Blackened Death Metal, with Raven gnarling rabidly like a demonic entity while the rumbling bass and blast beats by Lord Ghash and Hrist sound utterly demolishing. Then with an incandescent name like Lawa (“lava”) the music had to be absolutely scorching, which is exactly what we get, with the venomous roars by Raven crushing our putrid souls mercilessly, whereas Hrist then hammers his drums in the Behemoth-fueled Byłem Faustem (“I was Faust”), which will surely make their world renowned countrymen proud.

Dzieci Diabła (“the devil’s children”) is another thunderous display of extreme music by Sothoris, with the band’s guitar duo firing pure malignancy through their unstoppable, vile axes, and the band takes no prisoners in their quest for Black and Death Metal in Pro Memoria, or “for the sake of memory” from Latin, led by the inhumane drumming by Hrist. Needless to say, it should sound brilliant if played live. Then presenting elements of progressive music added to their core essence we have Dym (“smoke”), where Hex and Setrial once again steal the show with their heavy-as-hell riffage, and last but not least, we’re treated to one final metallic cult by Sothoris titled Piętno (“stigma”), where the bass lines by Lord Ghash will hammer your cranial skull mercilessly.

“This album uses a certain artistic game. We go back in time to the 19th century. The starting point for this idea, the inspiration is the monument of Karl Robert Lachmann, the only son of a German, aristocratic family, who died in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), vandalized by cemetery robbers, located in the mausoleum in Jałowiec,” commented frontman Raven, and if you have what it takes to enter the band’s house of the all dead, you can find those Stygian beings on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their sulfurous music on Spotify, and purchase Domus Omnium Mortuorum from BandCamp or from the Fetzner Death Records webstore as a CD or a cassette. But you better be warned, once you enter such a vile and cryptic house, your life (and death) will never be the same.

Best moments of the album: Szkarłat, Byłem Faustem and Pro Memoria.

Worst moments of the album: Dym.

Released in 2025 Fetzner Death Records/ADG Records

Track listing
1. Wieczornica 5:31
2. Szkarłat 5:43
3. Lawa 6:39
4. Byłem Faustem 6:03
5. Dzieci Diabła 4:53
6. Pro Memoria 4:52
7. Dym 4:57
8. Piętno 5:25

Band members
Raven – vocals
Hex – lead guitars
Setrial – rhythm guitars
Lord Ghash – bass
Hrist – drums

Album Review – Greh / Dysphoric Devotion (2025)

A beyond talented German trio will take you on a Blackened Death Metal journey through a dark universe in which light and shadow constantly alternate.

A musical journey through a dark universe in which light and shadow constantly alternate, Dysphoric Devotion, the first full-length album by Karlsruhe, Germany-based Blackened Death Metal outfit Greh,  is a “world of sound” that is characterized by both raw violence and intense rage. Recorded and produced by Greh, mixed and mastered by Hard Drive Sounds, and displaying a sinister artwork by Aaron Bonogofsky, the new opus by Martin Kocula (Grau, Lethes Fluten) on vocals, Gjero Krsteski (Hellgreaser) on the guitar, and Maurice Monne (Act of Rage, Hard Strike) on drums is highly recommended for fans of Hexis, Konvent, Triptykon, and Primitive Man, among others, representing a reflection of human existence, full of contradictions, abysses and an irrepressible longing for redemption.

Maurice slams his drums mercilessly in the opening tune Chained Thoughts, generating a reverberating atmosphere boosted by the Stygian riffage by Gjero; whereas the title-track Dysphoric Devotion brings more of the trio’s hammering hybrid of Doom and Death Metal, with Martin’s brutal vocals spreading hatred and fear majestically. Illusional Cenotaph brings forward another three and a half minutes of heaviness and sluggish sounds perfect for some sick headbanging, followed by Thy Breath Not Mine, based on a true story about a near-death experience caused by a blood clot in the lungs during sleep, exploring the painful struggle between life and death and the eventual realization and fascination of nothingness; musically speaking, they blast our faces with one more round of demented Death Metal for our total delight.

The trio goes full Doom Metal in All Flesh Decays, with Gjero leading the pace with his damned riffage, not to mention how visceral the roars and gnarls by Martin sound from start to finish, and there’s no sign of the band slowing down or sounding any softer in Growth In Pain, with Maurice pounding his drums nonstop. The second to last song of the album, titled Through The Eye, will darken your minds and thoughts to the venomous growls by Martin in a slow, steady and evil celebration of darkness; whereas they conclude the album on a very high note with the pulverizing Enter My Oblivion, again showcasing their passion for all things heavy and grim, with Martin once again sounding infernal with his guttural roars.

Immerse yourself in powerful Death Metal riffs that collide with Atmospheric Doom Metal passages in Dysphoric Devotion, while distorted walls of guitars, booming drums and dark vocals create an oppressive atmosphere that will stay with you for a long time, and you can do so by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel, by streaming their hard hitting creations on Spotify, and obviously by purchasing their new album from BandCamp (or simply click HERE for all things Greh). Light and shadow, rage and violence, and a humongous dosage of heaviness in the form of blackened music. This is exactly what you’ll get in Dysphoric Devotion, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for this talented trio hailing from Germany.

Best moments of the album: Dysphoric Devotion, Thy Breath Not Mine and Enter My Oblivion.

Worst moments of the album: Growth In Pain.

Released in 2025 Fetzner Death Records

Track listing
1. Chained Thoughts 3:03
2. Dysphoric Devotion 3:52
3. Illusional Cenotaph 3:36
4. Thy Breath Not Mine 3:28
5. All Flesh Decays 3:46
6. Growth In Pain 3:16
7. Through The Eye 2:54
8. Enter My Oblivion 5:07

Band members
Martin Kocula – vocals
Gjero Krsteski – guitar
Maurice Monne – drums