The Secret

An Italian and Dutch extreme metal ensemble, the Secret employ a caustic blend of black, doom, and death metal with a bitter dollop of punk and hardcore tossed in for good measure. Balancing aggression with moments of icy and atmospheric dread, the group debuted in 2004 with the uncompromising Luce. Originating in the Trieste region in northeast Italy, the band was founded in 2004 by guitarist Michael Bertoldini and vocalist Marco Coslovich, who have remained the band's sole constant members. The Secret sharpened their skills at the outset with constant performance and touring, building support by playing alongside high-profile contemporaries like Dillinger Escape Plan and Chimaira. They released their debut studio effort, Luce, via Goodfellow Records in late 2004. Multiple personnel changes heralded the arrival of their sophomore outings, 2008's Disintoxication, which caught the attention of esteemed American heavy metal label Southern Lord, which issued the group's apocalyptic third opus, Solve et Coagula, in 2010. Three years later the Secret returned with Agnus Dei, which featured a lineup consisting of Bertoldini, Coslovich, Lorenzo Gulminelli (bass), and Tommaso Corte (drums), and in 2018 they released an EP, Lux Tenebris, again on Southern Lord. ~ Chris True, Rovi