Obliteration “Nekropsalms” CD

As I continue to catch up on releases that I didn't have time to cover towards the end of last year, the latest from the ever-curious Fysisk Format label is "Nekropsalms", the second album from Norwegian act Obliteration. Offering up just seven tracks that still top 40 minutes of Fenriz-endorsed death metal, this album is rightfully described by the label as "a cosmic blend of old school death metal mixed with the best elements from doom, punk, thrash and old school black metal". There are indeed quite a few instances where the band immediately switches up from dark, doomy midpaced runs to frantic tremolo picking riffs backed by more of a blasting hardcore/punk drum pattern. Adding to the variety, also beneficial is a solid recording that's super thick without lacking detail—the bass presence in the mix is a particular treat given the impressiveness of the performances throughout. While a casual listen might yield the more expected old school death metal type of approach—what with the prominent growls/snarls/etc. and thick, gnashing guitars—closer inspection reveals a much more intriguing listen that really does have a lot of unexpected twists: Weird, spacey effects and the occasional Sabbath-esque riff, winding dissonant runs with loads of pulsing basslines, sparse explosions of raw hardcore attack, and way more pulsing/chugging doom than you'd anticipate from a death metal band. There's certainly more going on, too, and perhaps referring to Obliteration as a "death metal band" is overly limiting, but... who really cares at this point!? It is what it is, and it's fuckin' cool. See what you think...

Obliteration "Nekropsalms Evoke the Frozen Age" (excerpt)

Get It

Fysisk Format (CD)
Amazon.com (mp3)
eMusic (mp3)
iTunes (mp3)