Oubliette rumbles again.
Formed in 2011 in the USA by Mike (guitar/vocals, ex-Inferi, ex-Enfold Darkness) and Emily Low (vocals), the band now completed by Andrew Wampler (guitar, Ophiuchus), Cole Gerdeman (bass, While You Were Asleep), Chris Austin (guitar) and Spencer Moore (drums, Inferi, Phobos, live for Æther Realm) presents Eternity Whispers, its third album, via The Artisan Era.
Primordial Echo opens with a gentle melody, but Black Metal’s power eventually invades the atmosphere and then welcomes screams, while igniting and releasing a few dissonant parts. The furious rhythm remains as harmonious as unpredictable, resting on intense leads that eventually subside to let With Death’s Shadow reveal its airy, melancholy tones. We have this catchy majestic force within the dark aggressive riffs, but also a much softer passage to announce the solo before setting off again at full speed on Consumed by the Void, where the band is joined by Dave Palenske (Chaos Sanctuary, Volcandra…) for a few vocal parts. The track is relatively dense, but makes its mark with a surge that only ceases to set the stage for a martial passage that reopens the floodgates, leading us on to Desolate Path and its enchanting sweetness, stomped on with fervor when the band re-enters the fray. The musicians retain this moody, nostalgic tinge in the guitars, just as they do on Dreams of Nevermore, where they welcome Stevie Boiser (Inferi, Equipoise, ex-Ashen Horde) to complement Emily‘s roars on the tenebrous waves offered by the jerky rhythm. Ben Karas (Windfaerer) lends his violin to the band on Ember’s Embrace to give a more tragic touch to their music on this gripping instrumental track, then Vanish closes the album with melodies each more heartbreaking than the last, whether with the sharp guitars or the hypnotic bass.
Eternity Whispers condenses all Oubliette’s fury and rage into forty minutes, while giving it a dimension as melodious as it is aggressive. Melodic Black Metal often produces excellent albums, but this one is clearly of the highest quality.
95/100