Has it really been another month and a half since I last reviewed a death metal album? Yes, it has. It also turns out that I’ve only reviewed FOUR death metal albums this whole year. There’s been a death/doom review, a death/grind review, and even a pair of death/thrash reviews, but as far as straight up, no nonsense, full blown death metal goes, the grand total is indeed four. For whatever reason or another, this first half of 2022 has been severely lacking in worthwhile death metal releases. I’m well aware that a handful of mainstream death metal acts have released some high profile albums as of late (i.e. Misery Index, Decapitated, Septicflesh), but in all truthfulness, this crop bores me.
When I listen to death metal, I want to FEEL the death. I don’t want hints of it underneath layers of polished production, redundant modern metal riffing, and unnecessary virtuosity (You’ll never top Gorguts and Atheist anyway). I want raw, putrid, and pure death; the feeling of unbridled aggression flowing through my veins and filling my ears. Thankfully, there’s a handful of excellent bands who capture these cathartic emotions in their own twisted brilliance. Just within the Midwest, there’s Cardiac Arrest, Molder, and the band who comprises today’s review, Obscene.
They may hail from Indiana, but Obscene has one foot planted in the fire and brimstone rage of early 90s Florida, the other planted in the frantic frostbitten insanity of early 90s Sweden. Their second album, …from Dead Horizon to Dead Horizon, follows proudly in the footsteps of their debut, The Inhabitable Dark, unleashing a barrage of lethal riffs, one after the next. Many of the songs aren’t far removed from early At the Gates, with their sinister riffing and ripping leads. Look no further than “I Shall Drink the Earth’s Blood”, “Deathless Demigod”, and “Open Grave of a Forgotten Past”. It also helps that vocalist Kyle Shaw’s delivery channels the harshness of prime Tomas Lindberg.
However, Obscene is no At the Gates worship band. They incorporate various shades of death metal’s glory days in their repulsive sound. “Faith Through Pain” and “The Burrowing Hiss” incorporate violent mosh sections and relentless d-beats. “Insensate Cruelty” and “Shrew’s Nest” boast gregarious doom riffs reminiscent of Asphyx, which is always a good thing. And then there’s my choice cut, “Children of the Static”: A demented death/thrash overload that’s perfect for neck snapping and maniacal raging. This too boasts some crushing Asphyxian (trademarking this now) riffs which add some extra muscle.
Obscene are a band who live up to their name. They’re obscenely talented, but more importantly, obscenely deadly. There’s no attempts at elegance or fanciness here. Save that shit for the major label wimps. Obscene are on a mission to keep death metal true to its essence, and …from Dead Horizon to Dead Horizon does a commendable job of doing so. Time will tell what lies on the horizon for these bloodthirsty fiends. I predict greater glory, same ol’ death. Can I get an “OUGH!”?
7 out of 10
Label: Blood Harvest
Genre: Death Metal
For fans of: Asphyx, Entombed, At the Gates