“Once you’ve fallen into the deepest darkness of your being, you suddenly become comfortable surrounded by your demons. After all, it was you who created them. You’ll realize that they’re not necessarily your enemies. Enlightened by this knowledge, you’ll start to look upwards, forging a plan of your ascension. And upwards you’ll go, feeling liberated.”
This is the philosophical backbone, as described by ELUSIVE GOD themselves, upon which they built their second full-length album, “Ambis”.
The Croatian trio returns to the discography scene following the “The Darkest Flame” EP in 2020, their debut “Trapped in a Future Unknown” in 2022, and the independently released live album “Doom in Bohemia” in 2023. Formed in 2018, the band set out from the start to serve the traditional epic doom sound, walking the solemn path paved by the titans: CANDLEMASS, SOLITUDE AETURNUS, and SOLSTICE. Their style also echoes newer acts like BELOW and BLACKFLOW, with an atmosphere that leans towards the haunting and ominous. Their expression avoids ornamental excess, favoring a stripped-down delivery marked by elements rooted deep in the heavy metal tradition.
Their goal has been to craft a mystic metallic identity—but their declaration of how to get there leaves no room for doubt: “We are ELUSIVE GOD, and we’re here to play some doom-fucking-metal the way we think it’s supposed to be played.”
The lineup has remained solid: Tomislav Ferenc aka Shadow handles guitars and vocals, Roko Nikolić aka Beast commands the bass, and Jan Kapák aka Devil lays down the thunder on drums. Together, they channel the band’s deeper influences—ones that could truly make them stand apart—stemming from traditional music and the folk melodies echoing from the Carpathian Mountains to the Pannonian Plain.
In early 2024, ELUSIVE GOD dropped the single “Ples Demona”, paired with a short film. This track was a herald of what was to come with their sophomore album, “Ambis”. This time, the band pushed themselves further, refining their signature doom metal sound by embracing lyrics sung entirely in their native Croatian tongue. The motivation? The power of genuine self-expression—these songs cut deep into personal themes, and language shapes the very soul of the delivery. The emotional weight and vocal character take on entirely new dimensions when sung in their own voice—literally.
“(from) Dance of the demons
That I create myself
Dreadful and fearful
I’m burning in my own hell”
There’s a conceptual thread binding all the lyrics on “Ambis”—a bleak yet meaningful voyage of inner transformation through darkness. Musically, ELUSIVE GOD maintain their majestic and imposing passages, but now they stand in stark contrast to eruptions of raw rage, anguish, and sorrow.
“The album could be divided into three parts that resemble old alchemical principles: Nigredo – descent into the abyss (Kob, Ambisovi Krici, Vrata Vječnosti), Albedo – realization that in fact your destiny is in your hands (Ples Demona, Šapat Propasti), and Rubedo – ascending from the abyss, but with new knowledge, liberated (Onostran, Iz Tame I Pepela). So we call upon you and challenge you; take your time and focus. Immerse into the Ambis.”
Ambis—a Serbo-Croatian word for Abyss. From the crushing, ceremonial opener “Kob” (which translates to “Doom”) to the album’s majestic, final elegy “Iz tame i pepela” (in English, “From Darkness and Ashes”), this is a deliberate, aware, and intoxicating descent into shadows—a descent from which there may be no return.
Soul-devouring riffs, ebon-hued melodies, rhythms that crash like black waves, all cloaked in thick gloom, while Shadow’s voice booms in his mother tongue—each word like a chant echoing from the void. This is an expressive and potent offering—a darkness that dances with light, or perhaps light that flickers just enough to guide through the black. It all leads toward a mystical catharsis.
BRILLIANT doom metal work—without question.
As the band proclaims, ELUSIVE GOD are all about constantly reconnecting with what matters most: expression, art, and the story it holds. With “Ambis”, they’ve not only reconnected—they’ve created a monument to that connection. Their most accomplished, most personal, and most devastatingly good release yet.
The album’s striking artwork comes courtesy of Bojan Koštić.
“Ambis” will be released on May 9th by Personal Records on CD.
Check the discussion about the album in our forum pages.
You can pre order the CD here.
