Review by Sam on March 24, 2026.

What is a ditheist, anyway? An atheist chopped in half, or dissected? I had never heard this word before, so some quick googling revealed this: a ditheist is "a person who adheres to the belief in two distinct gods or two supreme, equal principles, often representing opposing forces like good and evil." In other words, a great band name. While Chicago death metallers Ditheist might believe in two distinct gods, the rumbling belligerence of this ensemble would portend that they lean toward the dark side.

It's been ten years since their last release, so one could assume that these dudes are regular joes with regular lives. I find it easy to root for a group of hobbyists who are passionate enough about their craft to go through the tedium of writing, rehearsing, and no doubt spending their own money on studio time to record a full-length album. So let's get down to brass tacks with the record at hand, which is entitled "Cosmic Liar". Right out of the gate, you can hear vocalist Chester Matthews bellowing about the disciples of satan over furious riffage and blasting, and you know you're in the right spot. Indeed, I would recommend Ditheist to fans of Deicide, especially if you're partial to the post-Hoffman brothers resurgence era of Glen Benton and Steve Asheim. This brings us to the second track and one of the highlights of "Cosmic Liar", called 'Evil To Live'. A tasty acoustic interlude sets the stage for this earworm that bursts forth in the most metal of time signatures, the six-count. It could be the palindromic nature of the words "evil" and "live", could be the purulent larynx abuse of going on here, but this song can easily become lodged in the brain. You can find a pretty sweet lyric video for 'Evil To Live' above or on YouTube.

Track titles such as 'Kill The Priest', 'Covenant Of Torture', and 'Mouth Of Hell' suggest that these boys take their death metal with a dollop of blasphemy, which is par for the course. However, the fourth song, 'Nyarlathotep' points us to the netherworld of another harbinger of metal, the infamous HP Lovecraft. This one comes to life with some eldritch pan flute music, creating visions of the elder gods writhing beneath the sea before the ensuing beatdown that's equipped with the swagger of confident, professional musicians who have clearly been at it for many years. For an added bonus, there's also some shred-tastic lead guitar going on here to enhance the experience, and this is not the only time that guitarists Konrad and Frost showcase their skill set.

'Mouth Of Hell' is a furious assault on the senses, and again, the similarities to Deicide are quite succulent. These guitarists are undoubtedly fans of the late six-string legend Ralph Santolla, who was featured prominently on the searing 2006 comeback "Stench Of Redemption". I'm not suggesting that Konrad and Frost can play left or right-handed, backwards, forwards, blindfolded, or upside down under water like Santolla, but the talent is obvious. Ditheist saved the best for last with the album closer 'Singularity'. The dudes know only one speed, and that is turned all the way up to eleven with unrelenting brutality. Drummer Narcyz Fortuna's performance is of particular note here as he demonstrates dextrous footwork, seamlessly switching from double bass 32nds to triplets. When the band slows to half time beneath the shred, all that awaits the listener is the gaping abyss.

Rating: 8 out of 10 upside-down crosses