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artist: Thanatomass
title: Hades MMXXV
year: 2025
genre: Black Metal
type: Album
label: LVX MorgenStern
language: English
rel. date: 2025-03-14
source: WEB/MP3
quality: CBR 320kbps / 44.1 kHz / Joint Stereo
runtime: 00:43:31
size: 99.7 MiB / 7 tracks
rip date: 2026-08-20
source url: https://open.qobuz.com/album/w0own0q99vqdb
tracklist:
01. Katabasis (Intromass) 1:04
02. Templvm Carnalis / Vomit Ceremony 10:01
03. Gravedance Sabbath 2:18
04. Living Tombs of Tartaros 8:31
05. Sorcery of Hades 8:52
06. The Bone Nimbus 1:19
07. Retromass (Morbid Ordinance of Doom) 11:27
release notes:
Remixed and remastered version of Hades (2023), with the added MMXXV to
title.
"Hades" is the third release and first full-length album from the Russian
three-piece black metal act, THANATOMASS. This album will be released in
the US by Living Temple Records. "Hades" is a complex concept album about
the place called Hell. Each track flows into the next and is part of a
greater whole. As such, this album is best when listened to in one
sitting. "Katabasis (Intromass)" is a short intro track that begins with
the sound of thunder and quickly ramps up in intensity, preparing the
listener for the ensuing chaos that is about to come. The first proper
song on the album is "Templvm Carnalis / Vomit Ceremony." This track is
almost impenetrably dense. There is some nice interplay between the drums
and guitars and the deep, growled vocals sound particularly hellish. The
biggest detractor is the amount of reverb on the vocals. This was
probably done to make A. Thanatos' vocals sound booming and ominous, but
the constant echo only adds to the discord that is the entirety of this
track and album.
The next track, "Gravedance Sabbath," is another hellscape, albeit a
short-lived one, since this track barely exceeds two minutes. I'm not
sure why this track is separated from the others. Its short length makes
it easy to tack onto the front or back of one of the surrounding tracks.
The track, "The Bone Nimbus," is similar in that it's barely longer than
a minute. Since the tracks on the album flow together, these two could
have been easily integrated into other tracks. The album's other three
tracks, "Living Tombs Of Tartaros," "Sorcery Of Hades," and "Retromass
(Morbid Ordinance Of Doom)" are quite lengthy, with each one being longer
than eight and a half minutes. While the chaotic music sounds great at
first, the sheer intensity of these tracks mixed with their continuous
sonic overload can be too much of a good thing. No doubt this album was
made to be unnerving, given its subject matter, but there also needs to
be more melody present to balance everything out. Otherwise, the album
just becomes a wall of constant aggression and noise.
"Hades" is a challenging album. I understand why it was structured to
make the listener overwhelmed. After all, Hell is perceived to be a place
of endless torment. From the overuse of reverb on the vocals to the
screeching guitar noises, to the blast beats, it's just too excessive to
be thoroughly enjoyed by most extreme metal fans. On the other hand,
THANATOMASS has created some truly evil soundscapes that demand to be
experienced. Repeat listens also reveal more subtleties and direction.
All in all, "Hades" is an album to be respected whether you enjoy it or
not.