Genre: Black Metal
Okhema is a studio Black Metal project based in Bari, Italy. The two founding members, brothers FS and GS, have been playing together in various bands since their adolescence. Their collaboration culminated in 2020 with the birth of the project, followed by the release of their self-titled debut album (2023), the single Black Inner Sun (2025), and the EP Caerimonia Umbrae (2024), the latter reissued on CD in 2025 by the independent label Mental Vortex Productions. Okhema's approach focuses on melodic and fast-paced Black Metal. Their compositions display a wide variety of influences, ranging from second-wave Norwegian styles to Finnish speed-blast bands to the more riff-focused Swedish melodic Death Metal. Their works released so far feature a modern and clean production, despite being home recordings. The band's concept and themes are firmly rooted in classical culture and philosophical introspection, with lyrics focusing on religion, the occult, and the history of ancient Rome and Greece. Through their compositions, Okhema seek to fan the flames of age-old divine archetypes, countering a decadent world that crushes the human soul under the weight of modern materialism.
From the first track, "Larva," Okhema demonstrate their ability to wield a decidedly diverse Black Metal sound, moving easily between traditional, fast-paced styles and more rhythmic, powerful slowdowns, nodding to the symphonic atmospheres of Dimmu Borgir or Covenant. Subsequently, "Caerimonia Umbrae" is a highly complex and richly textured composition, marked by numerous tempo changes. Initially influenced by Death Metal, the song suddenly opens up, creating a powerful emotional impact of the highest order. This interlude doesn't last long, as the song quickly returns to a tight Black/Death groove, before calming its pace with an industrial/ambient section. The song's structure is quite similar to that of the opening track, concluding with a tragic, solemn, and yet aggressive atmosphere. With "Saturnian Chaos God," the band shows off its full power: a very fast and well-structured song, enhanced by excellent vocal work and sharp, powerful guitars. The structure is complex and leaves the listener breathless. After a very brief pause, the song resumes forcefully, but always supported by a good dose of melody and atmosphere generated by the skillful use of keyboards. An evocative introduction leads us to the fourth and final track, "Carved in Aether." This is also a very violent episode, characterized by sharp guitar riffs that bring the band's style back to a more primal Black Metal. The orchestration and backing vocals are excellent, though the latter risk is reminiscent of more mainstream styles. Ultimately, this is a good album. The only real downside is the drum machine: while well-programmed, it's a bit too obvious in the mix. This makes the album's overall impact "too perfect," depriving it of the necessary naturalness and resulting in a somewhat "plastic" sound. It would have been better to slightly penalize it in the mix, or even better, rely on real drums played by a session musician, given that Okhema's genre offers ample scope for dynamic and meaningful drumming. A new full-length album is currently in the works, with a release scheduled for late 2026 or early 2027.
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