On January 25, 2025, THLIPSIS signed with FYC Records and quickly announced the release of two albums the first week of February: Servants of Apathy, their most recent EP (reviewed in Metal Temple on March 7) and the reissue of their self-titled 2021 debut (reviewed on Metal Temple this very minute). Said debut offers a view of THLIPSIS in their raw, unadulterated form four years ago. Back then they were a trio, sans Reactive on bass. And while they may have evolved over the years—ramping up production quality as well as their songwriting skills—they’ve certainly maintained true to their vision. If you like 2025 THLIPSIS, you’re likely to appreciate 2021 THLIPSIS.

THLISIS hails from Greece. They formed in 2021 after the year of our plague. Lyrically they focus on the utter decay of our society and the need to overturn it all. Musically, it’s essentialist Black Metal with melodic tremolo, demonic vocals, and frenetic tempos. They don’t fully subscribe to the lo-fi, analogue approach to Black Metal, which is to say you can actually discern the bass and there is clear separation in all the other instruments. They seem to have actually paid real money for a real studio—as opposed to using an abandoned cellar, which is actually impressive, especially with their debut EP. This bias toward solid production values shows more and more on their two subsequent releases.

Their debut is a short, three-track album, clocking out at 11 and a half minutes. Caught between frigid atmospheric and brutal assault, the title track offers a steady platform for Felix and Tumultus to deliver their bleak indictment of modern culture. “Nix” comes on a little more fiery and leans more heavily into the tremolo. It’s a call to action to overthrow the oppressors and to “kneel no more.”

“Love’s Blood” (trans: Tis Agapis Emata) closes the album. The track re-imagines “Tis Agapis Emata” by Greek composer Míkis Theodorákis which itself re-imagines verse from “The Axion Esti” by Odysseus Elytis. This nod to 20^th century Greek culture is a unique marker for THLIPSIS. The cover of this album also has a legacy steeped in Greek history, though not of the traditional sort. The iconic photo memorializes the death of Tasos Tousis who was killed by the Metaxas dictatorship in 1936 during a workers' movement.

Historical references aside—which from my perspective only adds more credibility and pathos to the album—Thlipsis stands on its own as a hefty serving of Greek Black Metal worthy of some serious attention. A lot of bands are embarrassed by their earlier works, not the case here.