Dutch doom/death metal band Spina Bifida formed in 1990. The debut demo 'Symphony of Indictment', released in 1992, and the album 'Ziyadah' from 1993 were left as their only releases for a long time, as they disbanded in 1995. However, the band decided to return in 2010. It's hard to say, whether they were abducted by aliens or were just doing some time traveling, but in 2015 they released the EP titled 'Iter'.

Spina Bifida have managed to conjure some of the bleakest music I've ever heard. It sounds like evil yet melancholic hymns straight from some four decades back. Huge wall of low-tuned guitars, banging drums and beary growl vocalization (with not that good pronunciation, to tell the truth) sounds absolutely dreary and desolate with dry, echoing sound-scape which perfectly matches with the cover artwork. The guitar melodies are repellent and eerie, only at times getting a tad more warmer and even epic; Spina Bifida do owe something to Peaceville three's early antics for sure. The pace of everything is sluggish, but not quite funeral procession slow. Very simplistic riffs and chugging guitar, plus drumming remind of Winter or Celtic Frost, without a doubt. However, all bands mentioned were more or less vivid in their output as Spina Bifida. However, there are tempo changes, guitar leads out of nowhere and other movements that keep a listener interested. The music here is not droning, but feels like it does play slower than it was recorded.

There is no information about when the recording sessions for this EP happened, only that that this was produced at Freezing Factory Studios. Also, no line-up is specified. This could very, very well be older than a product of 2010's. Both music-wise, as production-wise. This is a time capsule, really. The drums and the vocals are loudest in the mix, sometimes overshadowing the guitars.

So, why did I throw science fiction stuff in the first paragraph? Because of the cover art and the lyrical themes, which are not just fiction, but real science, like hadron collider, and ITER which stands for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor or is Latin for "journey". The meaning of us. Why do we fight against each other and do not look for good things? A perfect soundtrack for all that, right here.

Beyond its simplicity, 'Iter' is much bigger and wider as it at first might sound. It does what it was aimed to do: To make one feel flattened by sheer weight of sound. It slowly chews its way inside one's brain if given time. Sadly, the vocalist William Nijhof passed away last year, probably sealing the band's fate, seeing that there has not been activity since 2016.

Rating: 7+ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
07/07/2025 13:21