OBSCURA from Germany, have been around since 2002 and after three full length releases, the band has transformed into one of the most anticipated progressive acts of our days. Surviving, through fire and stone the past three years and after a complete line-up change, mastermind Steffen Kummerer, has finally managed to bring on surface their new observation “Akroasis”, which the word for “hearing” in Greek! The album contains eight new songs.
Opening track “Sermon of the Seven Suns” sounds exactly as catchy and guiding, as a first track of a new album should! Acoustic passages, fretless bass solos and of course extremely tasteful drumming, beating down each and every new progressive metal release of this year. The DEATH-like vocals are mixed with CYNIC vocoder passages and needless to say, that there’s more to listen than to read here! Next comes “The Monist” that is the first track from this band that is leaning towards their ATHEIST influences, including some jazzy experimentation and bizarre song structure. The riffing combined with acoustic arpeggiation, also reminded me of AKERCOCKE to some extend.
The third track “Akroasis” sounds so bizarre and unique, combining blast beats with beautiful ethereal chords and amazing guitar solos, that travel the mind. “Ten Sepiroth” opens up, with an acoustic intro and right next follows a chaotic song, full of tasteful arrangements, also including some jazzy passages, while “Ode to the sun“ brings MORBID ANGEL’s mid tempo mastery on surface, creating a sick atmosphere and an insane otherworldly scenery, with its obscure closing.
“Fractal Dimension” follows and once again the insane riffs and tempos, prove this band’s abilities and instrument virtuosity. Especially, when their ultimate death metal, gives place to melodic gypsy jazz passages, closing with some insanely melodic solos and a fade out! Hell yeah, I love fade outs! “Perpetual Infinity” seems to combine everything we just heard throughout the previous songs with even more extremes, just to give way to original closing track “Weltseele”.
“Weltseele”, deserves a paragraph on its own, not only because it is OBSCURA’s longest song so far, with a complete length of fifteen minutes and sixteen seconds. But most importantly, because of the music elements these minutes combine, for the first time in the band’s history, so far. Clean vocals, narration, string arrangements, acoustic guitars, choirs and extreme death metal, all together in an incomparable song. This is definitely the best song and arrangement we’ve heard from this incredible band!
It really sounds as a musical journey, or some kind of a sound movie! Amazingly beautiful! Even if you won’t take the chance to hear the complete release, give your ears the chance to listen and observe this amazing song! True masterpiece!
It took them quite long, to bring their new material on surface but OBSCURA should easily be considered, the best open minded progressive death metal band on this planet. They are so many miles far ahead from any other band. “Akroasis” is a candidate for top album of the year! Don’t dare miss it! Akroasis” is perfection in eight songs!
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