Reviews: SAT405
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The musical evolution of the Greek band Humanity Zero continues. In its early phases and continuing through many albums the band embraced death metal in the vein of such bands as Death, Hypocrisy, Unleashed, Nile, and Immolation. By the time of the 2017 album Withered In Isolation, the reference points included My Dying Bride, Tiamat, Amorphis, Katatonia, and Ophis. The movement in a doomed direction was even more pronounced on the following album Proselytism as the music became slower still and even more nightmarish.
And now Humanity Zero brings us their sixth album, Cursed Be The Gift Of Life. It comes almost seven years after Proselytism. Think of what has happened to the world during those seven years, and maybe you can begin to guess about the direction of this band’s new music.
But there’s no need for guesswork: As a tangible sign of what those long intervening years have wrought in Humanity Zero‘s increasingly frightening and doomed musical interests, today we premiere a song from the new album named “Forgiveness Devoured“.
Humanity Zero has always been the creative vehicle of multi-instrumentalist Dimitris “Dimon’s Night” Sakkas. Over the years since the band’s founding in 2003 he has been joined by a changing array of vocalists and occasionally by other musicians. On the new album he performs guitars, bass, and drums, and this time he is re-joined by vocalist Panagiotis “Kydoimos” Semkos, who was also the vocal participant in Proselytism.
The labels that are set to release the new album describe it as “the most sinister, punishing and heavy material the band ever recorded,” “slow, deep and soul-devouring,” “a descent into the cosmic abyss.” “Forgiveness Devoured” validates those descriptions across its more than 10-minute runtime.
In the opening moments dismal notes ring and miserably writhe. The music seems to wretchedly weep, joined by heavily moaning bass tones and slowly staggering beats. The abyssal howls of Kydoimos add to the music’s encroaching atmosphere of desolation but also create fear.
The riffing also evolves in frightening directions, becoming more menacing and coldly imperious. It slowly chugs and jolts as the drums methodically crack the whip, and that head-moving sequence paves the way for a guitar solo that eerily slithers and whines. The ensuing lead-guitar melody sounds like agony transmuted into sound. The vocals remain harrowing.
Further changes lie ahead. The song staggers at the pace of funeral doom. An elegant gothic organ melody adds a different dimension of haunting eeriness. A dual-guitar harmony creates sensations both stricken and esoteric. Those granite-heavy and ice-cold chugs return, giving listeners one more chance to move their heads as they get crushed.
No light shines. The vocals bring horror. The melodies return anguish. Funeral death/doom is ascendant.
https://www.nocleansinging.com/2025/07/29/an-ncs-premiere-humanity-zero-forgiveness-devoured/
Lurking in the Hellenic underground since the early 2000’s, Humanity Zero was founded by the prolific multi-instrumentalist Dimon’s Night (Inhibitions, Horrorgraphy, Misanthropy Apotheosis, Dei Umbrae, Ectoplasma, Feeble, Slough of Despair). While his other projects range from symphonic black and death metal to thrash and doom, this band is arguably his most mature, finding middle ground between funeral doom and death metal across six albums.
Humanity Zero‘s latest full-length record, Cursed Be the Gift of Life, includes vocalist Kydoimos (Misanthropy Apotheosis) and is set to be released on October 15th. Until then, you can enjoy a Metal Has No Borders exclusive premiere of “Heresy Rising,” the album’s gargantuan third track.
For fans of My Dying Bride and Triptykon, pre-order the funeral death-doom magnum opus Cursed Be the Gift of Life via Satanath Records and Rude Awakening Records.