Artist Origin: Munich, Germany
Genre: Technical Death Metal / Progressive
Label: Relapse Records
Running Time: 54 minutes
Release Date: March 29, 2011
Best Part: Absolutely flawless transition work.
Favorite Tracks: Septuagint, Prismal Dawn, Vortex Omnivium, Celestial Spheres, and Ocean Gateways
Grade: 5
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Omnivium in 20 words or less:
The third record from the German progressive tech-death metallers returns with even more fluidity, technicality and depth than seasons past.
The Band:
Obscura is a four piece technical death metal band from Germany formed in 2002 by vocalist and lead guitarist Steffen Kummerer. The band made a splash in 2006 when they toured in support of death metal legends Suffocation, and releasing their successful debut album later that year. The band leans on a number of styles, incorporating elements of thrash, death metal and progressive to create tracks that are equally intricate, technical and heavy. Obscura has faced lineup changes, but since 2007 Kummerer has added in drummer Hannes Grossmann and guitarist Christian Muenzner, both formerly of Necrophagist to round out the line-up, along with recent acquisition, bassist Linus Klausenitzer. Obscura has also come to be known in some circles as the second Death - which for any in the know is definitely high praise.
Obscura' previous releases include: Retribution (2006), and Cosmogenesis (2009)
Jay's Take on Omnivium:
Obscura's self-released debut album Retribution was an awesome record from a band that came relatively from out of nowhere. The release paired with touring with Suffocation in 2006 was just the exposure they needed to get noticed and to set them on a path towards recognition as distinctive element in the death metal scene. Omnivium is the follow-up to their second record Cosmogenesis, the first release to feature the bands most recent and final lineup. It continues along the path that their sophomore album set out, containing a wide range of elements from the many genres that they fuse together. Obscura's work can hardly be described as purely technical death metal, nor can it be called purely progressive - each track is slightly different from the rest. The band manages to incorporate all of its technique fluidly, from the intricate guitar progressions, to the high-tempo blast beats, the melodic, virtuosic guitar solos, fretless bass, and of course the range of Kummerer's vocals, which bounce between low guttural growls, haunting, black metal inspired screams, and soft, shallow cleans. While Obscura is far from unestablished, Omnivium remains a slightly overlooked sleeper hit amongst certain circles, in what has become a very packed 2011.
Sample of the Day:
- J
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