Album Review: Obscura - A Sonication
Reviewed by Sam Jones
Within the realms of Progressive Death Metal, there are few names bigger right now than Obscura, the German-founded extreme act responsible for the subgenre’s leading records over the last fifteen years. Formed in 2002 originally as Illegimitation before quickly changing their name to Obscura, the band hail from Bavaria, Germany and were soon pumping out material culminating in their 2006 debut album Retribution. However the progressive and technical capabilities that have made the band so renowned wouldn’t truly show their heads until the release of 2009’s Cosmogenesis, a record that is lauded amongst the subgenre’s finest. The band would dominate the 2010s with the successful release of Omnivium (2011), Akróasis (2016) and Diluvium (2018), bringing to a conclusion the band’s four-album concept. The 2020s would see the band again release studio material in the form of their sixth full length: A Valediction, released in 2021. Now another four years on, Obscura return with their seventh album titled A Sonication, raising questions as to whether this record is part of another grand arc the band are currently working upon. Sporting artwork by the ludicrously talented Eliran Kantor and being their third release through Nuclear Blast, A Sonication will also be the first album credit to the vast majority of the band other than last remaining member Steffen Kummerer on guitar and vocals. With a new roster lined up let’s delve within to get an understanding as per what beast Obscura have now become; A Sonication is due out February 7th.
Obscura don’t waste time as they hurl us right into the mire of their soundscape. We’ve become accustomed to spending time with the band owing to the nature of their progressive, technical songwriting however, upon closer inspection, you’ll find A Sonication is in fact the shortest full length of their career. It means the band don’t have as much time to divulge us and thus must get our attention riveted right away without hesitation. Tracks are shorter with only two of the eight on record surpassing six minutes. Now this may disappoint some expecting more elaborately written pieces but, conversely, ensures the band are going to get right to the crux of matters. This is no small, reduced time either, we’re looking at a fifteen to twenty minutes shorter runtime than some previous records so, for the most part, anything more intricate has had to be relegated to their designated, longer tracks. That doesn’t mean their shorter tracks aren’t entertaining though; the energy is ferocious and coupled with a polished production it makes for a seamless, smooth listening experience that throws us against the wall yet never threatens to overwhelm us.
One area where Obscura have never faulted are the vocals; Kummerer’s timbre is unchanged and fierce as it was during the band’s formative years and whilst we go into this record expecting the similar timbre and growling tone, it’s been mixed in whereby it complements the riffs and relentless drumming as opposed to combatting them. As far as the mix goes this is a sublimely produced album, then again that has often been a long-running aspect of Obscura’s studio work wherein they can assail us with these methodically written and planned sequences but they’re treated with care and a decorum not often seen in extreme metal. It would be easy to just slap everything together, deem it a cavernous and biting performance and call it a day, but the band’s efforts have enabled their vocals, growling yet far from the most ruthless, to still stand out amongst a plethora of instrumental and technical talent.
One element I think gets overlooked when acknowledging Obscura’s songwriting is the surprising quantity of melody woven into the backbone of their sound. The band’s progressive and technical capabilities are put on full display for you but it’s far from superficial or vapid. The band’s clear testament to their instrumental prowess may be fully audible, with few to zero obstacles to override your enjoyment, but it’s never shoved in your face. Doing so would deafen us to the time that such songwriting requires and thus the record feels like it has stepped a few paces back from the audience in order for us to receive the full breadth and scope their sound actually entails. As a result that aforementioned melody is brought to the forefront since A Sonication really feels to have winded down the overall brutality. The record still hits hard let’s make no mistake, but it definitely feels gentler on the senses. Perhaps such a choice is what allows the melodic element to rest itself more firmly; whatever the reason it gives the record another dimension for us to sink our teeth into.
If I were to summarise Obscura’s guitar work, whether it be riffs or licks or the general essence that this album oozes with, I would say A Sonication is a more streamlined album offering from the band. The progressive, technical quality is there but there is a reduced amount going on; it appears the band may be careening away from the hyper-technical songwriting and more towards a more simplified, coherent example that could broaden their fanbase. I can foresee many of their old guard disliking this motion since many appealed to Obscura since they were a band that absolutely entailed that more erratic yet impactful edge. But on the other hand people who thought their early material was a bit much may be delighted at A Sonication’s offering of this subgenre. The actual riffs themselves are still a joy to experience however I did recognise there were far fewer standout occasions where I felt the songwriting truly wowed me, in replacement of a more collective, satisfying album sound that stamps its signature sound across all eight tracks equally. It’s certainly the safest Obscura album I’ve heard yet.
In conclusion, A Sonication might be the band’s seventh album but it’s by far the safest sounding studio release yet. This record is plenty enjoyable with more than a few moments for us to appreciate Obscura’s energetic and frantic performance but it often feels just half a degree short from really breaking loose, however this is not detrimental to the point of degrading the record’s quality. A Sonication proceeds with confidence and possesses no weak track across a runtime just short of forty minutes; we’ve covered how this is Obscura’s shortest album, and what the band may have wished to achieve concerning a more streamlined soundscape, but I wouldn’t have minded extensions on one or two tracks, if only to satisfy that element of the fanbase who do desire the more intricate aspect of their style. You could deem A Sonication however a worthy gateway album for people interested in Obscura and this progressive, technical level of extreme metal but for those desiring a more detailed record in the vein of their earlier material, A Sonication isn’t it. It sets to provide precisely what I believe the band had in mind for it; I’m curious where Obscura go next.
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