Diabolus, Mecum Semperterne! – Diabolus, Mecum Semperterne! (Review)

Diabolus, Mecum Semperterne! are a black metal band from Norway and this is their debut album.

Brought to us be current/ex-members of bands such as Enevelde, Kråbøl, Lethe, Manes, Misotheist, Parfaxitas, Vemod, and Whoredom Rife, there’s a lot of experience that sits behind this project. Diabolus, Mecum Semperterne! is a 44-minute black metal incursion that will remind you of why you love this style so much.

On the surface of it this sort of album is anathema to me – there are nine tracks, but only four of them are actual songs. The horror! Despite this, I wanted to give it a try anyway due to the pedigree of the musicians involved.

So, let’s get the obvious stuff out if the way first – the intro and interlude tracks are about as essential as they usually are. However, at least here they’re short and inoffensive enough, and they do actually add an atmospheric intro to each of the songs that ties them together well. The final track – Postludium – was the biggest concern to me, as unlike the others it’s over six and a half minutes long. It’s well-done and surprisingly immersive, but too long for my tastes.

Of the songs themselves, these are far more interesting and engaging. This is orthodox black metal, played with skill and passion. Augmented with choral menace and delivered with icy hatred, the songs belong to the unforgettable 90s, bringing that historic time period to life once more. Driven by dark energies and crafted by artisans, this is esoteric black metal darkness shaped by people that know the style with intimate familiarity.

However, one of the things I really like about Diabolus, Mecum Semperterne! is that while it authentically channels the second wave era, it also succeeds in offering something more than simple nostalgia. This is an album that sits comfortably in 2026, surveying a blackened landscape that it’s about to dominate; it draws strength from the past to fuel present day conquests. Diabolus, Mecum Semperterne! is remarkably forceful, demanding you keep revisiting it until you are well and truly subservient to its will.

The music is raw and harsh, while balancing hostility and atmosphere well. Arcane moods and otherworldly auras are capably evoked, alongside the piercing fury and fierce intensity that are used to propel the music relentlessly forwards. The use of choral enrichments provide another level of atmosphere entirely, layering the music with occult power as the daemonic vocals tear out with malevolent potency. Remove the extraneous filler tracks mentioned above, and you’re left with a streamlined 33 minutes that is devastatingly powerful.

Diabolus, Mecum Semperterne! have created an entity of obscure character and enviable might. This is black metal for dedicated adherents of the original style; if that’s you, then Diabolus, Mecum Semperterne! is not one you’ll want to miss.

Very highly recommended.