For as long as there's been popular music, there has been duos. Even as part of a larger band, two-man teams like Lennon and McCartney, Hetfield and Ulrich, or Dickinson and Smith have put their heads together to create music the world can enjoy. When former Agathodaimon drummer Manuel Steitz teamed up with ex-Melechesh live guitarist Matthias Trautes, their combined experience with excellent extreme metal promised a lot, and they delivered. Since 2015, the two have been making music under the name The Spirit, with their debut album, "Sounds From The Vortex" following two years later. They've gone on to craft quite a name for themselves and now, in 2024, the two unleash their fourth full-length offering, "Songs Against Humanity."

Immediately, The Spirit throws a gut punch before exploding into a ferocious onslaught of black metal fury with "Against Humanity." For fans hoping that "Songs Against Humanity" would give them something extreme, the opening track aims to give them what they want right away, almost so that they're free to explore other areas after the song is over. It's a good black metal track with death metal production, but one wonders why it needs to be over eight minutes long, which can also be said about "Death Is My Salvation." The latter is arguably the better song, introducing more elements such as death-doom and some amazing rhythms, but again, it feels like it outstays its welcome by a minute or two.

For all the heaviness, The Spirit doesn't just assault the listener from beginning to end. There's a superb atmosphere created on "Nothingness Forever," which touches on Gothic metal with the sub-genre's trademark melodrama, while "Room 101," a perfect choice for a single, manages to introduce some more melody into the mix. In fact, "Room 101" and "Cosmic Rain And Human Dust" are both very good at taking the extreme metal songwriting approach and streamlining it into a more accessible, but no less heavy track. Elsewhere, "Spectres Of Terror" seems like it's going to be black metal through and through, but begins to introduce new parts as it goes on, bringing in a thrash metal flavour after a point.

Arguably the main flaw with "Songs Against Humanity" is that there are too many moments that feel superfluous. Instrumental tracks have long been a staple of albums by The Spirit, but when listening to closing track, "Orbiting Sol IV," I couldn't but help but think that some of the guitar parts and riffs seem wasted on what could have been a very good song. Believe it or not, the old adage that there can be too much of a good thing does ring true here, and it perhaps would have been better to chop and change a few sections and use them to create another song or two. Obviously, this is all subject to taste, but personally, I'm not a fan of long songs if they don't keep things fresh.

"Songs Against Humanity" is a good album, of that there can be no question. There's a lot to enjoy here, though as mentioned, maybe a little too much at times. Matthias Trautes and Manuel Steitz are both superb musicians and work really well together, as the three albums before this have demonstrated, and this latest endeavour is no exception. While it won't be hailed as revolutionary, it comes strongly recommended to all fans of blackened death metal, seeking to add new music to their playlists and more bands to seek out live.