Year: 2017
Total Time: 45:56
Label: Season Of Mist
Blast from -not so- past today and let me take you on a trip to Melbourne, Australia to meet NE OBLIVISCARIS and their third full length work “Urn”. The name of the band comes from the Latin-dead now- language and it means “forget not”.
In “Urn” NE OBLIVISCARIS decided to make the listener’s entrance into their musical world more accesible so they reduced the speed ,comparing to their previous albums and added extra atmospheric parts.The opening two part song “Libera” catches us all of a sudden. A calm, acoustic intro relax us without stressing us for what is about to happen, a bombastic blast that throws us to the wall. The combination of Tim Charles haunted violin fiddle stick and his peculiar, almost androgynous vocals (reminding in some parts bands like PLACEBO) come to a contradistinction with the hellish, furious screams by Xenoyr, offering us an archetypical but essential for the musical direction, bipolar. “Intra Venus” is the most “normal” song ,the most suitable for a videoclip with it’s riveting chorus and fuzzy guitar riffs, a song that stucks in your head. The folowing track ” Eyrie” lasts almost eleven minutes and condenses all the characteristics of this album.Bipolar battle between clean and angry vocals, endless violin melodies, tempo changes and hypnotic drumming. The album ends with “Urn Pt.I, Pt.II” reminding us that these Australian guys are performing high quality Progressive Death Metal, leving the listener with a sense of fulfill.
All the instruments have their space and none of them is trying to overtake the other showing us that NE OBLIVISCARIS is a well worked and tight band. Robin Zielhorst, who once played with CYNIC, is the guest bass player and leaves his trace. In conclusion, “Urn” is not so violent as his predecessors, 2012’s “Portal Of The I” ad 2014’s “Citadel” but is more mature and willing to approach new audience. After the release of “Citadel” the band faced great dificulties due to constant members change and endless hours on the road, performing almost everywhere, but these difficulties acierated them and made them strnger and more expressive. It has been quite a long time since their latest release “And Plague Flowers The Caleidoscope” with it’s mediterranean aura.I feel it’s time to hear from them soon.
Rating: 8/10
Editor: Dimos Karadimos
Related Link: NE OBLIVISCARIS – Facebook Page
