It’s time for Obscurity to unveil their tenth album.
Still signed to Trollzorn Records, the German band led by Agalaz (vocals), Isarn (drums), Grimnir (guitar, Helgrindur), Njalvar (guitar), and Vidar (basse, Helgrindur) begins its twenty-seventh year with the release of Ascheregen.
Initium Dekadentiae welcomes us with some very soft notes, but the drums are on the alert and quickly set the stage on fire, letting the rhythm wash over us, supported by the roars of Agalaz, who is clearly in top form. The Melodic Black/Death roots are perfect for such aggression, as on Flammentaufe, which follows suit and offers Viking Metal-infused flights of fancy while the base hammers away at a good pace. The last moments of the track let us catch our breath, then Schwur takes over and offers us its tornado of riffs, allowing itself a few more dissonant and intoxicating lulls before picking up again until its very gentle final. We continue with Blutgebet, which offers a solid rhythm, albeit a little more accessible, but still makes us want to bang our heads, stopping only on the choruses to scream along with the vocalist before picking up again following the harmonics. Then Dreifaltigkeit offers a catchy intro whose good mood spreads to the jerky riffs with slight folk influences. The tone becomes fairly calm again on Ascheregen, a mid-tempo track that will become very unifying in due course, while the guitars hypnotize us and bring a touch of melancholy before intensifying on the final that leads to Ketzerjagd, which immediately displays an unapologetic ferocity. The drums give free rein to their energetic madness, dictating a fast and sometimes even almost military march before moving on to the heady tones of Läuterung, which follows and carries us away on its own epic journey under the leader’s vociferous cries, even passing through a break with piercing guitars. We note the return of Black roots on Bekehrung, a somewhat short track with heightened coldness and aggression, then Death Metal comes to the fore on Runenwinter, particularly on the most ferocious passages, which do not hesitate to give way to slower, almost ethereal moments before launching back into the fray. There is another slowdown on Rúnar Víg, which places haunting harmonics over a fairly simple and effective rhythm, even welcoming a few choirs, then the album ends on Dystopie und Schwanengesang, which does not hesitate to switch from a penetrating melody to an assertive fury launched at a good pace, as well as a truly catchy break.
Since I’ve known the band, Obscurity has never disappointed me, offering devastating riffs under the guise of its multiple influences. Ascheregen proudly takes on the role of the Germans’ latest release, and it will quickly find its place alongside its predecessors!
90/100