Well why give something a name when you can call it “//180703//”? It’s a hard one to discuss with your mates, so I guess you’d better ask them if they’ve heard the new EP by that Austrian band Demersus ad Nihilum, this giving you the chance to surprise them that you know this is Latin for “Sunk to Zero”. You can then go on to say that the lyrics are based on Austrian poetry, and the main member is a member of Theotoxin, who released a jolly decent black metal album called “Fragment: Erhabenheit” a short while back. And there you have the background.

“//180703//” is 17 minutes of atmosphere-laden black metal. Starting with “Hin auf dornigen Wegen“ (Out There on Thorney Paths), the blasting back metal wavers between an icy cold front,  reflective acoustic passages and majesty. A nice acoustic intro leads us into the captivating heavier melody of “Verwünschung” (Malediction). The vocals range from fire to an intriguing spoken passage and what sounds like a cry for help, but my lasting memory of it is the fine acoustic work. “Abschied” (Farewell) leads us back into the fire, and another majestic mix of acoustic tranquillity and black atmospheric despair, ending an interesting journey through numerous styles with a symphonic touch.

And that’s it. These three tracks share the black metal value of dark suggestions, despair and suffering but it’s not all like that and they are different in character. It rises, it falls, it reflects, it threatens. There is calm. The songs are well-constructed and a great appetiser for a full-length album which I understand is on its way. “//180703//” is well worth a listen, I’d say.

(8.5/10 Andrew Doherty)

https://www.facebook.com/Demersus-ad-Nihilum-104903648344593

https://artofpropaganda.bandcamp.com/album/180703