Bulgaria is not the most obvious place that one might look to in search
of the best recent examples of traditional doom metal. That said,
Obsidian Sea, a Bulgarian band formed in 2009 with one demo and two
albums to its credit, has established its own legitimate claim as a
torchbearer for a subgenre that has splintered into many different
subspecies since its roots took hold several decades ago. In
particular, the band’s second album, “Dreams, Illusions, Obsessions,”
demonstrates its ability to successfully channel the spirit of
monumental predecessors such as Candlemass and Saint Vitus. Originally
self-released on CD and also on cassette by Serpent Eve Records in 2015,
Nuclear War Now! is proud to present this recording for the first time
on LP, as well as once again on CD format, in order to give this
deserving band from a relatively obscure location the attention that it
merits.
The sources from which Obsidian Sea derives much of its inspiration are
clear from the very outset with the album’s opening riff in “The Trial
of Herostratus,” which could have just as easily been written thirty
years ago for inclusion on Candlemass’s “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus.”
Additionally, the crawling tempo and darkness that pervades the second
track, “Confession,” and others are strikingly reminiscent of Saint
Vitus’s despondent 1995 masterpiece, “Die Healing.” In fact, the
delivery of the vocals throughout “Dreams, Illusions, Obsessions” bears a
notable similarity (although perhaps with a somewhat lesser degree of
perceived maniacal derangement) to that of the original and revered
Saint Vitus front man, Scott Reagers, who returned for his encore
performance to record the aforementioned “Die Healing.”
These likely influences aside, this recording is anything but a cheap
imitation of the products of a bygone era. One aspect which sets
Obsidian Sea apart from many of its contemporaries is the prominent role
that the bass guitar plays as an entity of its own. Rather than merely
adding depth to the guitars by shadowing their movements, the bass
instead often provides an additional, separate voice of its own,
frequently filling in the voids between guitar notes and chords as a
unique, primary contributor. Further accentuating this role is the fact
that the guitar solos transpire without the blurring and diluting
effect of an overly fuzzed-out rhythm guitar, instead relying on the
sole power of the bass to anchor them to the song. The result of this
practice gives each of the instruments its own space to express itself
independently, in addition to serving as a component of the whole. Also
noteworthy is the limited but effective use of keyboards, which
surreptitiously appear and meander in and out of “Child in the Tower,”
providing both melodic fills and harmonic accompaniment under the guitar
leads.
With “Dreams, Illusions, Obsessions,” Obsidian Sea thusly pays homage to
its ancestors while simultaneously augmenting the original formulas
they had concocted, resulting in an album which greatly deserves
attention outside of the band’s previously unheralded regional confines
17.00€
In Stock
Format: LP
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