Obscura – A Valediction
Release Date: 19th November 2021
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
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Genre: Technical Death Metal, Progressive Death Metal.
FFO: Necrophagist, Spawn of Possession, Pestilence.
Review By: Trina Julian Edwards
German metal powerhouses, Obscura, return with their highly anticipated sixth album, A Valediction, on Friday, November 19. This is the first album for label Nuclear Blast, with whom the band signed in 2019. After the majority of the band left to pursue other projects last year, founding guitarist/vocalist Steffan Kummerer, recalled former members Christian Münzner and Jeroen Paul Thesseling to play guitars and bass, while rising star David Diepold was tapped for drums. With a new line-up and a new label, it’s clear A Valediction heralds a new era for Obscura.
Members of the new line-up wrote, recorded, and finalized A Valediction during the pandemic. Drums, guitar, and bass were tracked in national studios across The Netherlands, Austria, and Germany. Once the individual pieces were completed, the recordings were sent to producer Fredrik Nordström and Studio Fredman (In Flames, Architects) in Gothenburg, Sweden, where Kummerer and Münzner completed vocals and acoustic guitars. This album marks a definitive change in the band’s songwriting framework. Not only did they forgo the four-part album series of the previous releases, but they adopted a more relaxed songwriting approach for A Valediction. This resulted in more opportunities and inspirations, demonstrated in their more refined structures and an increasingly dynamic aesthetic.
The epic opening track, Forsaken, is classic Obscura with all of its moving parts on display. The song builds slowly but surely with an elegant acoustic intro and atmospheric synth elements before hitting those devastating blast beats and intricate lead runs. The solo section in the middle is particularly impressive, with big neoclassical vibes and even a little 80s whammy-bar flair. The second track, Solaris, is also standard Obscura fare, with complex guitar and fretless bass work woven throughout the piece, as well as a relentless pace straight out of the gate.
The title track, A Valediction, is a bit of a departure for Obscura, but a welcome one, with its catchy, melodic runs and more traditional song structure. The fourth track, When Stars Collide, continues to chart new territory for the band. This is a lively, upbeat, borderline melodic death anthem with its major-key, 80s energy and powerful cleans from Soilwork’s Bjorn Strid.
Lest Obscura be accused of taking a softer approach on this album, the following songs, In Unity, Devoured Usurper and The Beyond, will disabuse listeners of that notion. Bookend tracks In Unity and The Beyond are more typical of Obscura’s previous works, with thunderous drumming, spirited fretless bass lines, and fiery leads. Devoured Usurper is therefore the scary novel in between. With its ponderous tempo, this track brims with classic death metal heaviness before picking up speed and hammering the point home. Kammerer’s vocals are particularly menacing in this track, as he switches back and forth from the lowest of gutturals to creep-inducing spoken lines.
Next is the instrumental beast, Orbital Elements II, which is the sequel to its instrumental predecessor from 2009’s Cosmogenesis. This track is an excellent vehicle to highlight the skill of each member of the band, and the late 80s/early 90s metal harmonizing and shredding is just plain fun to listen to.
The Neuromancer opens with a nice little groove that seamlessly rolls into techy riffs, some lovely tremolo picking, and all the blast beats one’s heart desires.
This is followed by In Adversity, which hints at melodic death vibes again in its stripped down chorus and appealing, memorable verses. Heritage wraps up the album nicely, with a refined acoustic intro and outro and ambient synth similar to the title track.
Obscura has been in the game a long time, but this album represents the beginning of a new stage for the band. There’s no doubt they continue to demonstrate impeccable technical skill with the lightning speed they’ve become known for, but A Valediction seems both more forthright and more compelling at the same time. Whether by conscious decision or by fortuitous accident, the more melodic and traditional song structures feel more accessible and may possibly open the door to greater, and well-deserved, popularity.
(4 / 5)
