Review by Norbert on February 25, 2026.

"My child, you came to me, my son. For who is your father now, if not me? I am the well from which you spring. When I am gone, you will be gone. What would your world be without me? My son..." – these are the last words spoken by the powerful wizard Thulsa Doom, moments before Conan decapitates him in one of the final scenes of John Milius's 1982 cult classic "Conan the Barbarian" (based on stories by American writer Robert E. Howard). And what would the world be without the Italian death metal band Thulsa Doom (not to be confused with the Norwegian stoner band), who took their name from the powerful wizard? Heh, probably just as bad as him, but who knows?

The band, hailing from the Italian capital, is made up of musicians associated with bands such as Demonomancy and Necromancer. They debuted in 2018 with the EP "Realms Of Hatred"—a 22-minute dose of raw, old-school death metal in the vein of Sadistic Intent, Necrovore, and especially early Morbid Angel recordings. 2022 full-length album, "A Fate Worse Than Death," picks up right where "Realms Of Hatred" left off, providing a logical, yet underpinned by a fuller, less harsh sound, extension of the EP's themes. The 10 death metal scraps that comprise "A Fate Worse Than Death" leave no room for Swedish melodicism, drum triggers, or guitar fretboard masturbation; instead, a barbaric, lethal attack, straight from the battlefield, dominates. Although it's not a monotonous assault. Some of the album's more hurricane-like moments evoke sudden incursions into enemy territory, ambushes in the name of plunder, and the wildest and most ruthless devastation, while in other passages, Thulsa Doom reveals a different side, serving up powerful slowdowns and expressive riffs that create an atmosphere that smacks of the calm before the storm, the devastation, misery, and decay that dominate the battlefield once the clash is over. This is an uncompromising and ruthless death metal album that could have been released in the late '80s, yet it still manages to sound fresh and modern. There's no hiding from brutal assaults like 'Cursed Domain Beyond' and 'Order Of The Black,' just as there's no room for mercy in the dark atmosphere and agonizing slowdowns of 'Tomb Of The Serpent Cult' and "Lost Portal Of Xhul." Thulsa Doom, like its literary/filmic predecessor, presents us with two options: let the body rot on the battlefield or drown in the abyss of despair and anguish. The choice is yours, dear listener.

Although I may have gone a bit too far with these Conan-esque associations, it would be simpler to say that "A Fate Worse Than Death" is a bridge between "Abominations Of Desolation" and "Altars Of Madness"—only "made in Italy," three decades later.

Conan or not, this album is a feast for the ears of all cult Florida sound enthusiasts.

Rating: 8 out of 10