ODIO DEUS is a black metal band from Norway who formed in 2020. “Spiritual Syphilis” is their full-length debut album. This album grabbed me from the get-go and never let go. I can firmly say that in the second half of 2024, this is one of the more violent, energetic, and against-the-grain black metal albums I have heard. This album captures the arcane violence of the genre’s beginnings by being an esoteric experience; if you don’t like black metal, you won’t like this. But music such as this isn’t about changing your tastes but embracing itself to offer a venomous bite. The album’s theme is about the inherent evil of organized religions, particularly those led by fanatical leaders. I’m not sure what, if anything, happened to the members of the band concerning the subject matter but they goddamn feel it. This album drips emotion; every note, every riff, every drum hit, every growl or scream...it’s all felt with a huge emotional impact.

The disturbing noises in the opening song, “Curse of Jehovah” builds up the tension before the drums kick it off. The floodgates open and the song just vomits forth. The vocals are on another level, callous and inhuman. There is a subtle use of keys, just enough to enhance the atmosphere but the song, and the album in general, is very much riff focused. The middle part is a massive, slow groove that takes the momentum of the beginning’s fiery explosion and molds it into a highly concentrated weapon of destruction. Afterwards, the song speeds back up but this time with a ton of groove. The drums offer a blitzkrieg of snare and double bass in “God’s Chosen People,” but the guitars match the intensity with the same fervor. At the halfway mark, the song somehow figures out a way to kick it up a notch, pushing into territories that is hard for a lot of bands to reach so quickly.

I love the opening grooves in “Deceiver.” It’s so intense that it is almost surreal. I can’t believe a song this excessive is this catchy but here we are and I have zero complaints. The melodic guitar around the 2:47 is a nice touch, fitting in nicely with the groove. “Svik” plays at somewhat of a slower pace and exudes atmosphere. This the most moody song on the album but underneath the layers is a seething bed of contempt and anger that just threatens to burst for. The melodic guitar solo before the hallmark is emotive and I can’t get enough of the drum passages that back it up. The final song, “Til Evig Tid,” is a beast. It opens with clean guitars that lead into a slow crawl of distorted nightmares. The song alternates between moments of speed with slower parts placed in between. After the halfway mark, eerie, ambient noises highly the lead guitar…this part is ghostly and ghastly.

All in all, ODIO DEUS’ “Spiritual Syphilis” is a very strong debut. The way the band strives for level of unrelenting extremity without being afraid offer up melodic and atmospheric elements when needed is impressive.