OBSCURA

"Omnivium" (Relapse; 2011)

Reviewed by Mike SOS

Lauded German technical death metal squad Obscura outdoes themselves on the project’s latest nine-track adventure, "Omnivium."

Dazzling ears with waves of astonishing musicianship over complex structures, this unit exhibits elaborately composed yet mercilessly heavy tracks that manage to maintain momentum despite the ridiculous rapid-fire changes and technical prowess necessary to pull off the magical metallic feats they effortlessly demonstrate (“Ocean Gateways”). And, somewhere within all of that pandemonium, Obscura masterfully maneuvers the matriculation of mountains of malevolent melody to coexist amongst the blistering savagery, complete with stunning guitar shredding (“Euclidian Elements”) and pristine percussion work.

While a good argument can be made that some of this album’s intricacies are unnecessary and overindulgent, the overall production and expert musical interplay between the band make up for this in spades, making this disc a must get for those into Death, Cynic, Atheist, and the like.

For more information, check out http://www.myspace.com/realmofobscura.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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Copyright © 2011 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
Revised: 18 Mar 2024 11:32:26 -0500.