Thumos – The Trial of Socrates

If releasing a double album in the musical climate of 2025 is a brave task, then what do we call releasing a double instrumental album?

Enter Thumos, with their third full-length album – their debut having come out in 2022. And if that wasn’t prolific enough, they’ve released several EPs, splits, and whatnot in between.

Entitled The Trial of Socrates, this massive work arrives some two years after its predecessor, Symposium. It consists of 16 tracks and clocks in at nearly two hours. Unlike many other double albums, none of the tracks on The Trial of Socrates are interludes or other sorts of fillers. They’re all full songs – only one of which is under five minutes.

So yes, it’s a massive album, and it’s instrumental. Yet at the same time, it also takes on a massive subject. And while it may seem contradictory to use instrumental music to tackle something as monumental as the trial of the Greek philosopher Socrates, the band excels at just that. Over the course of 16 songs, Thumos manages to interpret the key aspects of the story – musically and, most importantly, emotionally. The theatrical approach to instrumental storytelling is utterly impressive and, at times, even hard to wrap one’s head around. As is the case with most complex works, repeated listens help immensely.

But fear not – if you’re unfamiliar with the trial of Socrates, you may still get just as much out of this album, simply because of how stunningly well it’s composed and executed. It’s nothing short of jaw-dropping how strong the material is. Throughout the album, the listener is met with interminable melodic hooks, sheer power, and total control over the atmosphere and flow.

Trying to summarize this band using genre labels is a thankless task. Their driving force is rooted in post-metal and doom, but on this album, Thumos experiments and builds on that foundation more than ever before. Perhaps they did so to do the concept justice – to make it both intellectually and emotionally compelling. Yet the experimentation never feels forced. Instead, it enhances the album’s theatrical qualities, its dynamic contrasts, as well as its immersive flow.

Whenever instrumental bands are discussed, the question of vocals inevitably comes up. Vocals play a massive role in how music is experienced, and many instrumental bands have dabbled in them. Joe Satriani did so cautiously – and to little effect – in the late ’80s. In the 2010s, German powerhouse Long Distance Calling used vocals to great effect before abandoning them shortly after. It’s hard not to wonder what this album might have been like with vocals and lyrics. But when Thumos is this strong in melody and composition, perhaps it’s best they didn’t.

And that’s just it: when a band is this good at crafting instrumental music that feels so expressive, so alive, then they should stick to it. Because it’s incredibly rare for a (double) instrumental album to be this compelling and this generous. Sure, you’ll get the most out of it if you invest time and focus. And if you’re familiar with the life of Socrates and the works of Plato, the impact will be even greater. The determined yet fragile beauty of “The Apology” and the shattering intensity of “The Crito” and “The Phaedo” will hit all the harder.
But the genius of this album is that you don’t need to know anything about its subject matter to be completely drawn in. Give it your attention, and it will reward you vastly. Even if played in the background, it will find a way to pull you into its world—whether you want it to or not.

It’s impressive to witness the sheer volume of Thumos’ creativity – but what’s even more stunning is the quality. With an instrumental double album in 2025, they’ve – believe it or not – created the strongest release of their career.

thumos.bandcamp.com