ALBUM REVIEW: Skogarmaors – Obscurity

German genre-blenders OBSCURITY, undeterred by a recent line-up change that saw two of their members departing, have hammered out their ninth studio album, titled Skogarmaors. The Bergisch Land quintet, featuring new additions of guitarist Askar and drummer Isarn, are still sticking to their guns with regard to their unique blend of black, death and Viking/Pagan metal, but will the new guys bring anything to the table, or could this be curtains for OBSCURITY?

Skogarmaors opens up well, coming screaming out of the gate with Wodanaz Kriger. It’s a stirring and melodic opening salvo which features dramatic riffs and stirring melody, themes which soon becomes an early hallmark as the track’s successors, the overwhelmingly catchy Niedertracht and the much more black-tinged Ethnogenese show off both with gusto. The sheer energy and enthusiasm that OBSCURITY bring to their music never lapses for a second throughout the album’s middle segments. From the marauding swagger of Konstantinopel to the thoroughly savage battering of Blot, all we find contained herein is taut, strong riffing, excellent drum work flecked with crisp cymbals, and soaring, emotionally-charged solos.

Given Skogarmaors’ considerable runtime of 56 minutes, it is entirely possible that towards the back end of the album a touch of riff fatigue can set in. There is just a sheer weight of material here that OBSCURITY could have easily split it into a full length album and a string of EPs. The fact they didn’t choose to do this however is telling of their attitude, as they have deigned to prioritise giving the listener a weighty product that is jam-packed full of constantly morphing ideas, rather than break it up and spread it out.

If you arrive at the end of the album unfatigued however, you will be rewarded with some of its finest moments. Bergische Löwen Pt. 2 is an exercise in merciless double kicks and very passable blackened passages, whereas Dies Ater is a thunderous charge of bombastic riffs and blastbeats. Closer Schwertmission brings a bit of everything to the table and is something of a smorgasbord of cool moments. Featuring dramatic melody built from murky tremolo, dense chugging riffs bolted down by relentless drum work, and some stirring vocal interplay, it’s really one of Skogarmaors‘ most exhilarating moments, and a great way to round things off.

For those who could get on board with the Viking or Pagan branches of the metal tree, but can often find themselves put off by overabundance of floaty keyboards or the jarring inclusion of ridiculous instruments like zithers, accordions or hurdy-gurdy, this album could well be the stepping stone you need. Skogarmaors contains all the folkish twang and fun little frills that you would normally find in metal of this ilk, but played entirely on the traditional instruments of the genre. This has the effect of making it feel like a straight laced, no-nonsense take on an often overcomplicated subgenre, bearing more of the feel of a latter-days BATHORY than an ENSIFERUM, and being a great deal of fun while doing it.

Rating: 7/10

Skogarmaors is out now via Trollzorn Records.

Like OBSCURITY on Facebook.