Review: Sublimatio Mortis - Dolor Qui Animum Sublevat

Artist: Sublimatio Mortis

Album: Dolor Qui Animum Sublevat

Label: Noctivagant / Scarlet Kross

Release date: August 2025

Hot on the heels of their stellar recent full-length album, Sublimatio Mortis, the brainchild of C. Undirheimar and M. Massaya, are back with another release, this time in the form of an EP. True to their adopted aesthetic, the duo remains committed to album and track titles in Latin exclusively, and this particular release, whose title translates to The Pain that Uplifts the Spirit, is composed of a single 30-minute track, which itself translates to Key to the Mysteries (it's good to know that the four years of Latin I took in high school still come in handy). So what spurred the gentlemen behind the project to go for another release so soon after the last one?

Well, there is a lot to unpack on Dolor Qui Animum Sublevat, and despite featuring only one track, it may just be the most complex Sublimatio Mortis release to date. Existing fans of the project won't be surprised that the core of the sound still revolves around C. Undirheimar's guttural throat singing laid over various layers of bass, chasmic drones and vibrating chimes. However, there is a very important addition to the soundscape this time around in the form of acoustic guitar, which kicks in around the 10-minute mark and remains present for around half of the total running time; despite being only slightly distorted, this is probably the most ominous that an acoustic string instrument has sounded on any release, regardless of genre, and Sublimatio Mortis manage to weave it in just as naturally as any of the other elements they typically espouse. The relatively melodic nature of this EP that results from this peculiar approach does nothing to illuminate the usual pitch-black darkness present on the project's previous releases; it just offers a different perspective of it. Similarly, the half-hour running time doesn't really make Clavis Mysteriorum seem any shorter, only more compressed compared to Sublimatio Mortis' full-length albums, which in turn heightens the feeling of unease, culminating in the ecstatic final 30-second crescendo of the EP.

In sum, Dolor Qui Animum Sublevat is yet another testament to Sublimatio Mortis' standing as the premier ritual ambient act of today in the true meaning of the word. As its wonderfully simple, yet impactful cover art suggests, the very highest of art can be composed out of only a few, well-placed elements. That, rather than any technical prowess, is what puts Sublimatio Mortis head-and-shoulders above their peers, and I remain extremely excited for what is yet to come from them.

Rating: 9/10