Review by George Stiglic on April 6, 2025.

Slaughter, carnage, stabs, cuts — these are the words I would use to describe the music of the Greek band Nihilism.

I must say, I’m rather skeptical about “dissonant” bands. But, when I heard Nihilism, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the music. Yes, ugly, grotesque music can be high-quality and memorable. This is proven by the album Cataclysme Vers l'ascendance. The album starts fast and dynamic — like a punch in the face to god. No tedious preludes. It immediately bursts into an unstoppable blast beat with the harshest chords, no tremolo. Then follows a barrage of melodic dissonances. And here, everything is thought out with mathematical precision, the author knows what he is doing.

There’s no randomness — this is controlled chaos. I’ve always said that in music before you break a rule, you need to know it. Tritone, minor second, chromaticisms — all this will assault the ears of an unprepared listener. Broken rhythms, tempo changes, speed alternating with pauses. I want to note that the author works very well with silence, when the guitar storm suddenly halts for a fraction of a second, only to explode back at the listener. Probably, 90% of the typical metal guitar techniques are present on this album: harmonics, palm muting, tremolo, and much more. The relatively few melodic moments are especially effective and striking. My favorite moment in the song 'Cataclysme Vers l'ascendance VI' is when, between the grotesque, ugly riff, there is a moment of silence followed by an astonishing melody.

I suspect the influence of the French band Deathspell Omega on the author’s work, at least I detected something similar to their album "Si Monvmentvm Reqvires". Personally, I prefer the first two albums of this French legend, and the last album I can listen to with some enjoyment is Si Monvmentvm. What the band started doing after that, I’ve heard little of and didn’t like. So, the similarity is based on a comparison with their third album.

Overall, despite the fact that Nihilism's music is based on harmonies that could have led to being burned at the stake in the Middle Ages, it’s all captivating and immersive. This is what composer's talent and knowledge of the rules mean.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10