Band: Thornium
Title: Fides Luciferius
Label: Soulseller Records
Distribution: Sure Shot Worx
Release date: Summer 2010
Review: CD

In 1993, Thypheuz (real name: Daniel Munoz), involved with Satanic Black duo Cryptic (along with guitar player Ulverheim - Patrik Mattsson) and blaspheme Death Metal band Cabal (also with Ulverheim), started a project called Thornium, creating Black Metal from its most evil side. In 1995, after the ‘cult’ demo North Storms Of The Bestial Goat Sign, a first full length, Dominions Of The Eclipse, was released through a small and in mean time defunct label from The Netherlands, Necromantic Gallery Productions (the album, by the way, was re-released a few years ago through Germany’s Kneel Before The Master’s Throne, and re-released earlier this year through Thornium’s current label, Soulseller Records – the band signed a three-album deal with them). All went suddenly silent after Thypheuz was sentenced to jail for a long period. Thornium did not really split up, yet the whole was put on hold during this custody.

However, when Thypheuz’ confinement did end -we’re 2007- he started working with Ulverheim again. At this moment, Thornium signed to Soulseller Records, and together with (female) bass player Kali Ma, who also works with Ulverheim in his self-called solo-project, a new recording was done. Result: Mushroom Clouds And Dusk. Little after, Kali Ma and Ulverheim parted ways with Thypheuz, so the latter recruited three new musicians to be able to perform live: Noxulifer (g), Naberus (d) and Eligor (g). This last one, Eligor (Anders Lundvall), was also involved with melodic Death Metal band Descending (the one from Gothenburg) or Exsickator. With this line-up, the band did a small European tour with Black Crucifixion (Finland) and Dutch Heretic.

At the end of last year and earlier this year, Thornium started writing on new material, and the band went to the Sitra Ahra Studio for the recording of the new studio album, Fides Luciferius, which includes guest guitar solos by Michael Åberg. Around that time, Naberus and Noxulifer left, and Ulverheim (who’s also involved with, for example, Forsaken, Deletion (Black / Death Metal formation with members of Jaggernaut, Taetre etc), his self-called solo-project or Hatework) rejoined (Eligor stayed).

Fides Luciferius is a grandiose tribute to all Evil, an apocalyptic soundtrack with visions of war and agony. The main musical themes haven’t changed that much, except for, again, a growth in song writing and performance. Still the band dwells within the same spheres as, let’s say, Sorhin, Dark Funeral, Setherial, Marduk or even early Bathory. Most parts are lightning-fast, grim and demonic, with an extremely harsh rhythm section and right-in-your-face riffs. Some parts are slower and even melodic, yet still with a sulphuric breath. And a few times the border with the Funeral / Suicidal scene gets touched carefully (Shining, Craft). The sporadically use of floating keyboards is a fine element too, by the way. More than before, however, Thornium do not sound ‘just Swedish’. This time, the whole comes with a more Nordic-oriented sound. The hymns get interspersed with injections of Immortal, Gorgoroth, 1349 or Enslaved in both (underground-produced) sound and atmosphere.

Or: Thornium’s strongest effort to date, nothing original or renewing, just coming close to perfection in its totality.

85/100

Ivan Tibos.