Baring the Benedictine monks and their Gregorian Chant albums, Extreme Metal bands use more Latin words per album than any other type of music on the planet. On die XXVI Septembris, anno MMXXXV, NIHILI LOCUS released Nihil Morte Certium which comprises their entire discography with the exception of their latest LP, Semper. The compilation includes rare EPs and demos completely remastered by Giuseppe "Buzz" Nicolò at Lost Soul Studio. If you score the double LP vinyl version, you will also hold the physical format of their 2010 album, Mors, previously only available digitally.

I've said it before and I still hold it to be true, these types of compilations are mostly for long-time fans and collectors, which a lot of times are the same population. In this case, however, it's a great opportunity for new fans to snatch up the entire post-Semper catalogue in one fell swoop.

So, who is NIHILI LOCUS anyway? To start, NIHILI LOCUS translates as 'nothing place' and their compilation title as 'nothing is certain in death.' Language lesson over (thank you Google translate), the band is a Doomish Black Metal band hailing from Nichelino, Italy. Please note the 'ish' in 'Doomish' is straight from their promo material and not of my own making. They formed in 1989 under the moniker of OMICIDIO and made the shift to NIHILI LOCUS in 1991. Although they have had a few dormant periods since then, each phase of inactivity only seemed to intensify their music. In June 2025, they released their second full-length album, Semper.

As with most Black Metal, their vocals are mostly harsh and the riffs discordant. The tempo, as noted is markedly Doom though not Psych. I only mention that due to the predominance of Psych and Occult Doom in Italy. Instead, NIHILI LOCUS's take on Doom is more Death than fuzz. Listening to Nihil Morte Certium in its entirety, listeners get to hear how the band has evolved over the, yes, decades.  My favorite eras are the 1994 demo, . . . Advesperascit . . . . This space shows them integrating acoustics interludes and clean vocals into their typically raw and visceral approach. Along those lines, I also really enjoyed very next phase of their history, . . . Ad Nihilum Recident Omnia. Here the band introduces Atmospheric, Melodic, and Goth elements. For fans who prefer their NIHILI LOCUS a little more extreme, the compilation ends with Mors, which finds the band returning to their Black and Death roots.

Nihil Morte Certium has been 24 years in the making. It documents the trajectory of NIHILI LOCUS as well as the eras of extreme metal which they were not only a part of but helped to shape. And it's also some pretty damned insane music. Extreme Metal fans of all ilks and creeds are encouraged to partake.