LIVE REVIEW: Obscura @ Rebellion, Manchester
Technical death metal has developed considerably since its first emergence in the 1990s. Flash forward to today and the over-complicated branch of death metal is populated by numerous bands who push the definition of what it means to be technical to its very limits. OBSCURA are one such band. Since their inception in 2002, the German shredders have climbed to the top of the pile with their brand of tech-death and following the release of last year’s excellent Diluvium, the band hit the road with a mouth-watering support billing; FALLUJAH, ALLEGAEON and FIRST FRAGMENT.
With such a stacked billing, as Canada’s FIRST FRAGMENT take to the stage, Manchester’s Rebellion is already considerably full. A good sight to see and bodes well for the band who dispatch an impressive opening performance. Complicated rhythms from guitarists Nick Miller and Phil Tougas switch from devastating riffs to mind-boggling solos that demonstrate their prowess whilst drummer Nicholas Wells performs at breakneck speed throughout. Vocalist David AB does enough to maintain their ferocious sound, albeit hitting the standards one would expect with music of this calibre. A solid opening set.
Rating: 8/10
The appearance of ALLEGAEON on our shores has been an incredibly long time coming. Since first crossing the pond last year in support to NE OBLIVISCARIS, to have them back just a year later is a welcome sight indeed. And the Colorado outfit continued to fuel their momentum by performing a set of utter quality. Roaring into life through the blistering All Hail Science, the quintet set an outrageously high standard right from the off and they maintain their brilliance over the course of their time on stage. Guitarists Greg Burgess and Michael Stancel ooze quality, combining wonderfully well on the dual harmonies of 1.618 whilst vocalist Riley McShane cuts a confident figure at the helm, commanding the crowd effortlessly and deploying a solid barrage of growled vocals; especially on the triumphant finale of Behold (God I Am). With a new album looming on the horizon and lead single, Stellar Tidal Disruption, sitting comfortably alongside their older material and performed expertly, the future is bright for ALLEGAEON and long may it continue. A set of star-studded excellence.
Rating: 9/10
After building a solid reputation on our shores over the past six years or so, the departure of vocalist Alex Hofmann in 2017 has left fans pondering to what will happen to the Californian shredders. Flash forward to the present and with a new vocalist at the helm, Antonio Palermo, and a new album on the way, it seems that 2019 will bare witness to the rebirth of FALLUJAH. Live, the band deploy their blend of atmospheric-leaning tech-death with confidence and a swagger. Punchy and blistering riffs on opening number Carved From Stone sets a strong precedent as red lights bathe the band and help enhance the more atmospheric side of their sound, especially on The Void Alone. Amber Gaze demonstrates the versatility of lead guitarist Scott Carstairs who dazzles with his technical riffing whilst the ferocious moments of Sapphire pack enough force to decimate the venue’s foundations.
Palermo remains up close and personal with the crowd, almost intending to reinforce his newfound position at the helm of their sound. New cut from the upcoming Undying Light, Ultraviolet is where Palermo shines best as his rasping screams are crisp and clear and roar above the shred of his bandmates and he does an amicable job on the band’s older material. And yet for all that FALLUJAH impress, there just seems to be something missing, a final flourish that we’ve come to expect at this point from the band’s live performances. It just left you wanting just a bit more from what they actually offered in Manchester. Despite this, FALLUJAH certainly did more than enough to warrant that excitement will certainly continue to build to their upcoming release.
Rating: 7/10
OBSCURA are one of tech-death’s premier outfits and with that comes a certain expectation in the live department. The ability to not only replicate your studio material but to give a memorable performance is now an expectation for OBSCURA as opposed to a desire and the band took this in their stride to give a solid and strong headlining performance. Bursting out the gates with the technically excellent Emergent Evolution set a strong precedent, a statement of intent if you will, and from there OBSCURA rarely put a foot wrong.
Material from last year’s Diluvium made up the bulk of the set, understandable given this tour is very much in support of their latest effort, and the new material proved to be some of the strongest moments of the set. Steffen Kummerer combined brilliantly with fellow axeman Rafael Trujillo on the title track to give riffs that got heads banging aplenty with the former dispatching growls to an excellent standard whilst Mortification of the Vulgar Sun allowed the band’s more melodic side to shine as harmonised leads reign over the blistering drumming from Sebastian Lanser.
Whilst the focus here is very much directed towards their latest effort, OBSCURA still dispatched older material with as much focus and effort as they did with their new songs. Akróasis demonstrated some of the best lead guitar play of the evening whilst Septuagint made for a pleasant buffer at the set’s halfway point. Indeed, OBSCURA more than demonstrated their technicality, expertise and ability to command a stage, giving a performance that reaffirms their position in the upper echelons of technical death metal.
Rating: 9/10
