LIVE REVIEW: Obscura @ The Underworld, London
It is a known fact that nobody likes Mondays, but if the first day of the week wants a rebrand, it can take note from the one that attracts several hundred fans at Camden’s The Underworld. The rationale for this is a top-notch bill of progressively-minded and musically gifted death metal bands, topped by Germany’s premier tech-death heroes OBSCURA.
The evening begins with Germany’s DISSILLUSION who straddle the intersection of death metal in its progressive and melodic varieties, with a particular knack for the epic songwriting which gradually unfolds over many sections. They begin with 11-minute opus Am Abgrund off their forthcoming fourth album Ayam (due in November) which sees frenzied thrash riffs flow into a grandiose blastbeat-powered chorus. We hear several cuts from their 2004 debut Back To Times Of Splendor which is very well loved in progressive circles, as well as the industrial grunge of The Black Sea from the leftfield follow-up Gloria. Although the music on offer is very varied, the reception of the sizable crowd that has turned up early is uniformly enthusiastic – best illustrated by one punter who spontaneously shouts “That was fucking sick!” after the end of Alea, much to the pleasure and amusement of frontman Andy Schmidt. Closing with their most recent single Tormento, DISILLUSION give a brilliant account of themselves which will likely win them more than a few new fans.
Rating: 8/10
The second act comes from progressive death metallers PERSEFONE, the primary metal export of the Principality of Andorra. Their riffage ups the stakes a notch in terms of technicality, drawing parallels to the likes of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME in its willingness to go between the sublimely beautiful and the profoundly weird. Vocalist Daniel R. Flys’ main weapon is his deep guttural growl, but he also demonstrates versatility through higher-pitched shrieks, as well as some pleasing cleans. He cuts a charismatic figure on stage even during instrumental sections, standing at the forefront with his eyes closed in a pose that suggests complete immersion into the soundscapes painted by his colleagues. The cosmic post-metal of Prison Skin presents one such moment, while the rapid brutality of Katabasis makes a case for revisiting their wonderful 2022 release metanoia ahead of the rush to compile the traditional end-of-year rankings. There is also a moment for some light relief, as cake and candles are brought out and the crowd is encouraged to serenade guitarist Filipe Baldaia who is turning 30 the following day. Closer Mind As Universe transports us to an alternative universe where DREAM THEATER have a very strong taste for death metal, and with that PERSEFONE bid farewell to an appreciative audience.
Rating: 8/10
A recording of an acoustic guitar rings through The Underworld as touring bassist Alex Weber joins in with the warm sound of his fretless bass. Before long, all members of OBSCURA are out and blasting through Forsaken, the majestic opener of their most recent record A Valediction. A meteor shower of riffs, tempo changes and rapid solos, it has all the ingredients we have come to expect from OBSCURA’s uniquely accessible brand of technical death metal. As a style it can often be cold and unwelcoming, but the Germans blend in enough different elements that would catch the ear of those more inclined towards melodeath, symphonic or even power metal. That said, they have also been honing another string to their bow with crushingly heavy mid-tempo death metal in the traditions of MORBID ANGEL. The destructively groovy Ocean Gateways and Devoured Usurper are like the sonic equivalent of a bulldozer, and result in two of the absolute highlights of their set.
Instrumentally the music is almost so demanding that it is baffling how a bunch of mere humans are expected to play it without errors night after night. OBSCURA not only rise to the challenge of playing at 100 miles per hour, they do it whilst visibly having fun on stage. Guitarist and vocalist Steffen Kummerer radiates with a warm smile throughout, and all three guitar players frequently climb atop the stage monitors to offer the crowd a closer look at their fretting mastery. Among a night of brilliant instrumentalists, drummer David Diepold earns a special shoutout. Never putting a limb wrong, his carefully constructed drum parts elevate the songs with a further melodic dimension.
The setlist leans heavily on 2021’s excellent A Valediction, with the driven title track and the instrumental Orbital Elements II among its highlights. But there is also room for modern classics of tech-death like The Anticosmic Overload which generates the biggest pit of the night, while the performance of Akróasis reaches almost transcendent proportions, showcasing a heartbreakingly beautiful side to a genre that is sometimes stereotyped as cold or sterile. An encore of two early fan favourites – Septuagint and Incarnated – bring a magnificent set, and a brilliantly put-together touring package, to its conclusion.
Rating: 8/10
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