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░ ██ ██ Artist: Obscura ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Diluvium █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2018 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-11-09 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Death Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Relapse Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ It has been around three years since we last heard █
█ new music from Obscura. Their previous release █
█ Akroasis garnished mixed reviews from fans. Yet, █
█ this current release Diluvium had me particularly █
█ interested. It's the final chapter in a series of █
█ four releases that are meant to be a conceptual █
█ circle. I am admittedly not the biggest Obscura █
█ fan, but I always found a place for them when I █
█ needed a progressive death metal fill. Akroasis, █
█ their previous release in 2015, was a solid album, █
█ but it failed to make a lasting impression. As an █
█ eight-track release, there were only three to four █
█ tracks that stood out; it felt underwhelming. As I █
█ listened to Diluvium, I ultimately returned to █
█ some of their older releases to see how their █
█ journey evolved. █
█ Overall, Obscura is an extremely talented band. █
█ Their progressive style incorporates a lot of █
█ melodic tones and offers a unique blend other █
█ bands struggle to match. The bass has, and always █
█ will be, a staple in their songs. Bass solos and █
█ complex riffs are always a highlight when it comes █
█ to this band. It's obvious bands like Beyond █
█ Creation take notes from Obscura's excellent low █
█ end. It's also surprising the quality and █
█ musicianship the band continues to employ given █
█ how many members have come and gone through the █
█ lineup. The constant turnover in any band is bound █
█ to force some change or influence the flow of the █
█ music. It seems Obscura never lost its touch over █
█ the years though; Steffen Kummerer remains the █
█ glue needed to keep the band on point. He creates █
█ their special progressive death metal the fans █
█ enjoy. █
█ With Diluvium, there are some interesting changes █
█ not obvious in their previous work. The songs are █
█ more structured, and many have a particular chorus █
█ or catchy section that repeats several times. This █
█ is evident in "Clandestine Stars," "Emergent █
█ Evolution," and "Mortification of the Vulga" where █
█ Obscura takes greater care in structuring █
█ intricate and catchy death metal riffs and grooves █
█ that carry melodic choruses to the next section of █
█ the song. Particularly in "Clandestine Stars" █
█ there was a neat odd-sounding vocal chorus █
█ reminiscent of Travis Ryan from Cattle █
█ Decapitation and his almost-digitized vocals on █
█ The Anthropocene Extinction. Unfortunately, █
█ Obscura only touched on this tactic and I found █
█ myself wanting more. █
█ The melodic portions, which could also be █
█ described as progressive interludes, have a great █
█ sound. The combination of a high-speed technical █
█ approach with the melodic foundation made it seem █
█ the band has taken several large steps forward. █
█ The songs are easier to follow with the current █
█ structuring, the music seems more coherent rather █
█ than a chaotic technical metal mess, and the flow █
█ is undeniable. This release is the bands best to █
█ date. The melding of talented musicians has come █
█ to a point where all sections work excellent █
█ together. █
█ Progressive death metal is an incredibly difficult █
█ sub-genre for a band to stand out in. Still, █
█ Obscura has and most likely will continue to be a █
█ good band. Their fifth full-length album, █
█ Diluvium, is some of their best work yet. However, █
█ to truly make the top the lists of those who enjoy █
█ the sub-genre, they still need to pull some more █
█ tricks. █
█ █
█ Thanks to the original ripper! █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Clandestine Stars 3:38 ░
░ 2. Emergent Evolution 4:52 ░
░ 3. Diluvium 5:02 ░
░ 4. Mortification of the Vulgar Sun 6:09 ░
░ 5. Ethereal Skies 5:18 ░
░ 6. Convergence 4:04 ░
░ 7. Ekpyrosis 5:23 ░
░ 8. The Seventh Aeon 5:17 ░
░ 9. The Conjuration 5:33 ░
░ 10. An Epilogue to Infinity 6:16 ░
░ 11. A Last Farewell 2:26 ░
░ 53:58 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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