Spiine is an independent blackened doom project formed in March 2021 in Australia, consisting of two members: Sesca Scaarba (guitarist and songwriter of the gothic doom metal band Virgin Black) and Xen (vocalist of Antiqva and Omega Infinity, formerly of Ne Obliviscaris). The band’s name derives from the English word “spine,” with the addition of an extra “i” in the middle as a reference to the close collaboration between the two artists. Sesca once described the deep artistic connection between herself and Xen as follows: “Sonically, alter egos – emotionally, morbidly kindred spirits.” (Sesca’s Facebook page, March 17, 2021). This statement also sheds light on the unique choice of the band’s name: “The spine is both a strength and weakness within the flesh, and here we unite two spines to strengthen the resolve into burdening the world with our music, our blackened and miserable despair.” (Spiine Facebook, February 21, 2021). “Two spines / one purpose / no future,” wrote Sesca on February 13, 2023.
When we look back at the early 2020s history of the two artists’ bands (Virgin Black and Ne Obliviscaris), the above fragments of thought may suddenly evoke further associations. By this time, Virgin Black – known for blending the dark atmosphere of doom metal, the dramatic elements of gothic metal, and classical music – had already emerged from a long hiatus between 2008 and 2018. It took them a full decade after the release of their 2008 album Requiem – Fortissimo to finally bring forth the first part of the Requiem trilogy, Requiem – Pianissimo, which had been recorded back in 2006 with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and guest performers. They also changed their label, and following their contract with Dark Escapes Music, not only the Requiem trilogy but also the early Virgin Black albums (Sombre Romantic (2001), Elegant… and Dying (2003)) were finally made available on streaming platforms. However, vocalist Rowan London has been struggling with chronic health issues since 2020 due to meningitis caused by a severe meningococcal infection. The band could not release any new material or perform live.
At the same time, stormy changes were brewing within the Australian melodic progressive metal band Ne Obliviscaris as well. The band had been facing significant challenges since the latter half of the 2010s. Due to personal and health reasons, Xen was unable to participate in the band’s European and North American tours supporting their latest album (Exul, 2023), nor in the concerts planned for 2024. Ultimately, after 22 years with the band, the founding member of Ne Obliviscaris announced his departure, stating that despite the difficulty of the decision, he was stepping away for personal reasons – primarily due to the challenges of touring and to focus on his three other emerging projects: Spiine, Omega Infinity, and Antiqva. “My drive has always been first and foremost for the creative process of art, music, writing, and everything behind the scenes rather than being in the limelight every night, and so I plan to focus more on those things.” (Xen’s statement regarding his departure from the band, January 28, 2025).
It is therefore not surprising that these two Australian creative minds found each other in the midst of a difficult and, in many ways, painful period in their lives, drawn together by the artistic process.
The announcement of Spiine’s formation generated significant resonance among fans and the music industry alike, especially those who had followed the careers of its two creators. According to Sesca, the songwriting process was like “getting out of our own way, allowing the threads of the fabric to weave themselves” (Facebook, September 3, 2021). Indeed, much like in Hegelian dialectics, where thesis and antithesis are elevated into a higher synthesis, Spiine was never meant to be a mere copy of Virgin Black or Ne Obliviscaris. It became something far more – but more on that later, when we delve into the music itself.
The recording of their debut work, Tetraptych, entirely self-financed, began rather quickly, as early as September 2021. Sesca recorded the guitars, while Xen, slightly delayed in time, recorded the vocals. The drums and bass lines were performed by exceptional session musicians, including Waltteri Väyrynen (Opeth, ex-Paradise Lost, etc.) and Lena Abé (My Dying Bride). Mixing and mastering were handled by Mark Kelson (Lucidity Sound) and Joseph Carra (Crystal Mastering), respectively. Though Tetraptych will officially be released on March 27, 2025, its first track, Myroblysiia, was already made available on the band’s Bandcamp page on February 5, 2025, accompanied by a video uploaded to YouTube. This video presents a uniquely captivating visual aesthetic: alongside the night-black musical visions painted by Sesca and Xen, we are drawn into the vortex of Spiine’s world through the mesmerizing movements of Atsushi Takenouchi, a distinguished representative of Butoh, the Japanese contemporary dance form.
But what does the music of Spiine sound like – a universe that is both incomparable and painfully, exquisitely artistic? It is difficult to put into words. Categories and definitions can always be assigned to everything (and indeed, they must be – this is the foundation of conceptualizing things), but one must always take care not to let categorization obscure what is essential, unique, and special. Perhaps this is what Sesca alluded to when quoting the Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti: “When you teach a child that a bird is named bird, the child will never see the bird again.” (Facebook, February 25, 2022).
Thus, when we speak of Tetraptych in terms of depressive suicidal black metal, blackened doom, or funeral doom, we should not forget that while these categories help guide our thinking and navigate the overwhelming landscape of musical styles, Spiine’s debut album ultimately transcends them, pushing beyond the boundaries of the aforementioned genres. Sesca once described it as follows on her Facebook page: “If we were to describe this album, we could encapsulate it in this beautiful Zen quote: “When my house burned down, I gained an unobstructed view of the moonlit sky”. This album is the burning, the devastating grief, but also the moonlit sky.” (December 1, 2021).
“Solve et coagula“, says the ancient Latin phrase, echoed by the initiates of the Eleusinian Mysteries and alchemists alike: “dissolve and coagulate.” The only way to create something new is through the destruction of the old. Translated into the thematic essence of Tetraptych, this means a descent into one’s own psyche, where dissolution gives way to transformation. “Suffering pulls us through doors we’d never choose to open, into chambers where the self we didn’t know waits to emerge.” (Sesca’s Facebook, January 30, 2025). Perhaps it is like the Greek inscription on the façade of an Athonite monastery, expressing the same Eleusinian secret message: “If you die before you die, you won’t die when you die.” There is a part of all of us that recoils from annihilation – yet at the same time, it longs for purification and transcendence, willing to pay an immense price for it. This is something that leads us toward the realm of the transcendent – perhaps reflected in the album’s glimpses into the sacred and metaphysical world.
What is Tetraptych? Tetraptych is a term from the world of visual arts, referring to a painting (often an altarpiece) composed of four interconnected panels forming a unified whole. It is hard not to recognize the reference here to the four tracks that make up the album’s total runtime of 64 minutes. It is refreshing for me to experience a musical work where the artists, in contrast to prevailing contemporary trends, do not confine their compositions to a mere 3-4 minutes. Perhaps it is true that human attention spans are growing ever shorter, but a sincere artistic creation like Tetraptych does not need to conform to such limitations, nor does it need to self-censor itself a priori. Thus, the tetraptych painting, masterfully rendered by Spiine, unfold before us over 14 to 17 minutes, taking shape as grand, flowing compositions – monumental movements that guide us on a pilgrimage into the deepest realms of human suffering. In the ancient tradition of pilgrimage, the pilgrim descends into the hidden corners of the soul and encounters the shadow – not as an enemy, but as a guide revealing itself. This is a journey of transformation and initiation, realized through loss and pain, ultimately leading to catharsis. In the end, only that which has withstood the crushing weight of transformation remains.
The first of the four stations of this pilgrimage is Myroblysiia – the piece that begins our descent into the innermost depths of our being. The term myroblysia (μυροβλυσία) originates from the early Greek Church, referring to the miraculous exudation of fragrant oil or myrrh from the relics of saints, believed to have healing properties. It also carries an ontological meaning, signifying, in Christian terminology, “being in a state of divine grace.” Perhaps this interpretation is directly reinforced by the repeated invocation of the phrase “radiant in rot” at the song’s conclusion. Before we arrive at that point, however, numerous motifs serve as signposts, guiding us into the dark night of the soul. Neither Myroblysiia (note how the double “i” appears not only in the band’s name but also in the track titles!) nor the other three compositions on the album adhere to traditional song structures. Instead, these 15-minute pieces unfold more like classical movements – distinct yet intrinsically connected, forming an organic unity. Still, the composition remains meticulously structured. Sesca’s instantly recognizable, characteristic guitar work leads the way – not only her playing style but also the guitar tone perfected during the Requiem era is unique and unmistakable. Xen’s astonishingly versatile vocals flow richly above the foundation laid by the guitars; one almost has the impression that multiple vocalists perform on the album, given the sheer range of emotions, moods, and tones he is able to convey with a single voice. Alongside Sesca’s guitars, the drums, bass, and symphonic elements are always in precise harmony with the vocal lines – and at times, they rise from the sonic depths to take center stage. For instance, at 8:54, one of Sesca’s hauntingly beautiful guitar melodies hits with such force that it is almost overwhelming, as if the instrument itself were weeping. Or take the passage at 13:23, where a stunning, powerful symphonic section evocative of funeral doom surges forward, adding tremendous weight to the final “radiant in rot” codas.
Then we arrive at the second stage of our pilgrimage through torment and suffering: Glaciial (derived from “glacial”, meaning “icy” or “pertaining to an ice age”). The title itself, along with its hammer-blow rhythm and massive, monolithic vocals, immediately propels us forward on our journey. These are the sounds of alienation, solitude, and despair. Yet, the relentless hammering strikes eventually give way to a painfully beautiful symphonic interlude, only to drag us back into the world of rigidly structured, crushing blows. It feels as if we are listening to the screams of a soul being forged in agony, caught between anvil and hammer – an ordeal from which even Sesca’s hypnotically repeating, almost wailing guitar phrases offer no escape (7:19). Only the passage at 10:23, evoking the atmosphere of My Dying Bride (particularly The Prize of Beauty from Songs of Darkness, Words of Light), provides a momentary relief. But as Xen reveals yet another facet of himself, darkness falls again, and the piece is crowned with a Virgin Black-esque symphonic finale, accompanied by weeping guitars.
Our sonic descent continues with the third act: Oubliiette. The term “oubliette” refers to a unique type of dungeon, accessible only through a trapdoor in the ceiling – torturing its prisoner with the duality of hope and hopelessness. It is the maddening dichotomy of yearning for the light filtering from above while knowing that escape is impossible. The track begins with a choral section reminiscent of a funeral march, which immediately brought to my mind the male choir at the beginning of Adorned in Ashes from Virgin Black’s Elegant… and Dying (2003). However, the distorted guitar soon rips apart the ornate choral arrangement, and Xen’s vocals explode into our consciousness. The rhythm tightens, and Sesca introduces the tremolo picking technique often found in black metal – giving the impression of a prisoner’s desperate struggle for freedom. Then, everything slows down, as if the struggle has lost its strength, and the funeral-like choir returns, only to be shattered once more at 4:38, when Xen screams as if crying out from the depths of a dungeon in final desperation. Wrangling, rage, rebellion – then, after a brief transition, we descend into unfathomable despair, accompanied by symphonic arrangements. This hauntingly beautiful section paves the way for the catharsis of the final piece.
Wriithe begins at a slow, deliberate pace – one can almost grasp the tension seething beneath the surface, ready to erupt. Once again, Xen reveals a new side of himself: his voice contorts as if wracked by unimaginable agony or internal turmoil, and when he can no longer contain it, he finally erupts. The dragging, burdened guitarwork gradually expands, growing ever more beautiful, ever more majestic – until, at 6:17, it reaches near-operatic heights, soaring with a refrain-like, exalted grandeur. The guitars pulse with a late-Pink Floyd-esque ebb and flow before the piece erupts into one of the fastest sections of the entire album. The music takes flight, the vocals become increasingly unrestrained and euphoric – culminating in a moment of redemptive catharsis and ultimate serenity.
I am writing this review at the end of February – a time when one does not yet speculate on what the rest of the year might bring. However, having traversed this downward-inward, then upward-outward pilgrimage led by Spiine, I cannot imagine needing anything more. The emotional impact is somewhat akin to what I felt upon first hearing Box Up My Bones by Cynic (though that was a less intense experience!) – but whereas that track left me with a sense of terrifying self-loss, a dissolution into the impersonal void, Spiine calls us to something else entirely. Spiine does not seek to soothe us with the idea of dissolving ourselves into nothingness to find peace. Instead, through this internal pilgrimage, the flames of suffering burn away the impurities of the soul, and after the cathartic purification, something new, something better, something more beautiful remains.
This is the purest form of art – it exhausts, cleanses, and elevates. There is nothing more an artist can offer to their audience.
Label: –
Release date: 2025
Style: Black Doom
Web: facebook.com/spiineofficial
Tracklist:
- Myroblysiia
- Glaciial
- Oubliiette
- Wriithe
Rating: 10