1914 - Viribus Unitis - review
1914 - Viribus Unitis - review
Tracklist
01. War In (The Beginning Of The Fall)02. 1914 (The Siege Of Przemyśl)
03. 1915 (Easter Battle For The Zwinin Ridge)
04. 1916 (The Südtirol Offensive)
05. 1917 (The Isonzo Front)
06. 1918 Pt 1: WIA (Wounded In Action)
07. 1918 Pt 2: POW (Prisoner Of War) [feat. Christopher Scott]
08. 1918 Pt 3: ADE (A Duty To Escape) [feat. Aaron Stainthorpe]
09. 1919 (The Home Where I Died) [feat. Jerome Reuter]
10. War Out (The End?)
A review by
AndyMetalFreak November 26, 2025
Back in 1914 the world was devastated by the start of a war that went on to shape the course of history forever. Fast-forward in time a whole century later to 2014, and a Ukrainian death metal band who took the title 1914 formed, with the intention of marking the 100-year anniversary by shedding some light on the horrors that war brought during one of the darkest moments in human history. They've achieved this through their crushing blackened death doom style and an array of immersive soundscapes that capture the events that occurred during that time in as vivid detail as possible. Across three acclaimed offerings, Eschatology Of War (2015), The Blind Leading The Blind (2018), and Where Fear And Weapons Meet (2021), the band have become a recognized force within the death metal genre and Ukrainian metal scene.
1914 return once more with Viribus Unitis, on which they once again deliver high-quality war-themed blackened/death doom. Expect deep-tuned slogging riffs, crushing bass, and thundering drums that at moderate tempo resemble the unrelenting brutal forces that controlled the WW1 battlefields. Lighter passages also feature, adding a more emotional and melodic touch, creating a sense of hopelessness, sorrow, and despair, while furious blast beats and blackened tremolos conjure an unrelenting sense of fear and dread. The instrumentation then coincides with semi-harsh growls that narrate with insufferable anguish and rage, occasionally accompanied by chilling backing choirs and agonizing screams.
The atmosphere from beginning to end feels claustrophobic and oppressive, with various samples, such as speeches and the sounds of battle, being used between each song, all which adds a degree of authenticity. Each section is crafted to capture a specific moment during war, whether it's the feeling of being relentlessly bombarded by firearms, or taking time to mourn those fallen. Guest vocal contributions from Aaron Stainthorpe (My Dying Bride), Jerome Reuter (Rome), and Christopher Scott (Precious Death) also feature, and their collaborations with the Ukrainian quintet are admirable successes.
Since the release of their last album, the nation in which 1914 were formed has been involved in a bloody conflict themselves with their neighbouring country Russia. Despite the war being a subject that's way out of my area of expertise, I recognize that it's only natural for some bands to express in their lyrics a certain venom towards the nation with which they're at war. Several occasions throughout Viribus Unitis seem to convey this, tying in historical events from WW1 with the present-day conflict. However, the album's story is that of a Ukrainian soldier named Lviv native, who survived World War I and was held in Italian captivity before returning home during the Polish-Ukrainian War, with the album's title, Viribus Unitis, a personal motto from the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I.
I don't condone hateful lyrics aimed towards a nation and its people, particularly when such events are largely out of the population's control, but there are occasions where it's possible for me to separate the lyrics from the music itself, and this is one of those instances. Still, portraying the horrors of war without such content is certainly achievable, as bands such as Kanonenfieber and Bolt Thrower have demonstrated by instead focusing on portraying the horrors and suffering of war itself, and I like to think deep down 1914 intends to represent the album in this way. Whether it's a war of modern times or the beginnings of the great war in 1914, the ultimate goal should be to capture the terrible soundscapes in as vivid and accurate way as possible, such that listeners can think and reflect in some way on the insufferable pain that war brings, even if they haven't experienced the tragic horrors of war firsthand.
With regard to the music, Viribus Unitis is another glorious triumph in blackened death metal. The songs capture only a mere glimpse of the tragedy that unfolds on the battlefield, but that glimpse is more than enough to cut deep into your soul and make you stop and think. This is an unforgettable journey that places you in the midst of battle, and it's as close to seeing through the eyes of an unfortunate soldier who had to, or still has to, endure such suffering as you'll probably experience without having to endure such terror yourself.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 6 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written on 26.11.2025 by
Written on 26.11.2025 by
An honest review that you don't necessarily have to agree with. Comments
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Posts: 1824  |
Posts: 1824
Only problem I had with this album were the guest vocals. They don’t stand out like they did in the previous albums. The MDB vocalist in particular fuckin blows. Other than that this album is on the shortlist for AOTY.
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 Posts: 8256 |
Posts: 8256
I appreciate that you at least address the elephant in the room, Andy, which is something that I have not seen anyone doing in other reviews of this album. Written by A Real Mönkey on 27.11.2025 at 20:30 Indeed.
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 Posts: 10108 |
Posts: 10108
Regarding the hateful lyrics, it feels like they also do it for dramatic effect considering the song .380 also uses very nasty adjectives for the Kaiser/Austria and now they used the Austro-Hungarian national anthem in the intro, same with other terms they use against Italians here for example. I guess the war with Russia certainly helped shape these lyrics as well.
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