Obscura
Akróasis
Relapse
Release Date: 5 February 2016
Review by Rod Whitfield
Let’s get one thing on the record, this German band are ridiculously good musicians, and construct intense, dense and highly sophisticated prog-metal music. If you’re into blisteringly techy and brutal death metal, this band will be your bag.
For myself, as much as I love, respect and admire musicians who are true masters of their craft from a technical standpoint, the ultimate skill in music is still song writing. To my ears, even after several listens to ingest it all, (and there’s a lot going on) that’s where these guys fall down just a touch. Maybe it’s as simple as the lack of melodic vocals, lifting things for a soaring, fist-pumping chorus, that is to blame here. But I hear a heap of ideas and complex riffs and grooves strung together more than I hear great, cohesive, catchy songs.
The best bands are incredible musicians who allow their titanic skill to support great songs, rather than writing music to showcase their technical prowess.
This is musician’s music, and although I personally hear a little style over song writing substance, this album is still a mind-melting experience for tech freaks.