In spite of their somewhat limited output (July 2008 self-released 6-track debut EP Nektophobia; October 2010's self-released full-length Concordia Perpetua; the March 2012 released EP's Antichrist and The Flaming Bed In Benum – issued as a double vinyl through Subversive Records; and the one-track single Infected, issued in May 2013 (both on vinyl and as download), also by Subversive), this Swiss band from the Emmental region (actual basis being the towns of Huttwil and Berne) has been around since 2003.
The band was originally founded as a trio by singer Ragulan Vivekananthan and guitarist Nicola Graber alongside drummer Michael Steuri. Bassist Adrian Rohr joined that trio in 2004, and in 2006 the band's line-up was extended by the addition of rhythm guitarist Nils Hugi. A last line-up change occurred in 2009, when the drummer handed over his seat to Damiano Fedeli (a former member of Sykaron). That the line-up has been stable since then, is a sign of the members' persistence and obstinate belief in what they do, and it's that persistence which has incited several youngsters of the Bern province to start bands of their own, with as result that one might actually speak of a resurgence of the Death Metal scene in Switzerland. Nihilo's exceptional live energy has, in the past, resulted in the band being invited to perform at the Mountains Of Death festival, the Metal Dayz event, and to function as support for Pestilence, Sinister, and others.
The best way to describe the band's music, is as Old-School US Death Metal...but Nihilo add an uncanny amount of melody in their music, without for that fact becoming comparable to the Gothenburg Death Metal scene! Vocals are on the one side the typical grunts, and on the other side almost a Black screech. Ooh, the naughties dó use a keyboard line in the song “Death Camp”, and they're not just about straight-forward musical aggression either. In fact, “Homicidal Pleasures” already brings a taste of something more Doomy than Death in its instrumental opening and closing (the middle part of the songs being of that same blasting quality as the other first 9 songs on the album), and the album closing title track is an incredibly versatile Doom Metal track many bands of that scene would be jealous of, because in spite of a length of just over 20 (8) minutes, the tensions within the song keep the listener bound to his earphones from start to finish! The boys also mention a lyrical concept (in àll of their songs), but forget to tell what that is.
Anyhow, for your bit of listening session, you can sure log onto the band's own (www.) nihilo.ch (which re-directs to (http://) nihilo.proghippie.com) where, in the 3listen” section, you're enabled to listen to the band's 2012 EP's and 2010 full-length. In the “Video” section, you'll not only find live stuff and tour diary footage, along the couple of “fake” videos (just sporting music) of ólder material, but also the official video for “Infected”, a track which is also featured on the current album. Besides having a facebook page, the band is also on ReverbNation, Soundcloud (where the 2010 and 2012 material is posted), and Bandcamp...where you'll find a possibility to listen to Dum Spiro Spero's track “On The Brink”. Great band this, and Dum Siro Spero is certainly deservant of the “Best Album Of 2014” nomination I'm hereby giving it!