What's in a name? You don't put on an album by a band named SODOMISERY and expect to hear folk dirges. What you expect to hear are blast beats, guttural vocals, and brutal riffs. And that's pretty much what you get. Well, almost. I had the pleasure of checking this band out for the first time with their third album, "Mazzaroth," released on September 08, 2023 via Testimony Records. It is an unexpectedly melodic and refined take on Black Metal-almost a Blackened Prog-but still very heavy. And then I noticed the band was from Stockholm, Sweden. Mystery solved.

To be fair, SODOMISERY's talent comes down to more than geography. Each of the four members boasts significant legacies. And then there are the super-defined production values. Credit to Harris Sopovic (also band founder), who recorded and produced the album at Sopovic Antiproductions in Sweden, and Ronnie Björnström for the mix and mastering at Björnström Sound and Production, also in Sweden. An addition to the mix, and it seems something new for the band, are synths. I'm not sure who performed them, but the overall effect is good. They really aren't placed in the foreground but are rather used like an ocean swell, adding depth and texture to the prevalent motions. There is also a guest appearance by Niklas Sandin (KATATONIA, LIK) who provides choir vocals on "Demon in Heaven."

Using the metaphor of Mazzaroth-the 12 constellations that circle the earth, or essentially the Zodiac-the album's narrative is a "dark lyrical yarn about mental illness in society, religion, and the struggle of the individual." The lyrics, one might say, are the waft and the music the weft. In this way every track weaves together to make up an intricate fabric of tales.
"Mazzaroth" comprises nine tracks and has a full run of 35:43, with a single instrumental piece, "Ephemeral Requiem" which serves as the outro. This flourish lends a classic flare. I could have done with a similar mid-point interlude and maybe even an intro. The most compelling tracks, however, spin together multiple movements and modalities-from melodic tremolo to disorienting assaults of guttural vocals and distorted riffs to soothing harmony of choir vocals. "Delusion," "A Storm Without A Word," "Mazzaroth," and "Demon in Heaven" are the prime standouts for their nuance and complexity. For sheer virulence, early tracks like "Coming Home" and "Psychogenic" leave stinging marks.

I was torn by "Master of Your Mind" which features a spoken-word sample of what sounds like an antiquated psychotherapy passage on depression. I'm not a big fan of spoken word in any form of music-it tends to come across as bloated and didactic-but countering that drift, the track steadily builds in malicious grit accented with a sonorous lead solo and the tolling of a bell. By the end of the five-minute song, I was won over.

Final analysis: Despite their off-putting moniker, SODOMISERY impressed me with "Mazzaroth." Thematically it was very tight, and the musical performances were exemplary, showcasing some solid songwriting. Even the cover art by JRMR hit the mark. A solid 8 for this one.