ITP REVIEW: OBSCURA: COSMOGENESIS

BAND: OBSCURA (GERMANY) GENRE: TECHNICAL/PROGRESSIVE DEATH METAL LABEL: RELAPSE RECORDS RELEASE DATE : 2/17/09
PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG): COSMOGENESIS (2009-RELAPSE RECORDS), DEMO (2008), RETRIBUTION (2006-self released)


BEST RELEASE: COSMOGENESIS (2009)
TRACKLISTING: OBSCURA: COSMOGENESIS:
1. The Anticosmic Overload 4:16
2. Choir of Spirits 5:31
3. Universe Momentum 4:33
4. Incarnated 4:53
5. Orbital Elements 5:21
6. Desolate Spheres 4:01
7. Infinite Rotation 4:48
8. Noospheres 5:04
9. Cosmogenesis 4:15
10. Centric Flow 7:25

ITP RATING: *** PRODUCTION: **** SONGWRITING: *** PERFORMANCE: *** 1/2 OBSCURA are a technical death metal band from GERMANY featuring two former members of NECROPHAGIST ( Hannes Grossman drums and Christian Muenzner-guitars) and a former member of Pestilence (Jeroen Thesseling-bass). The bands name, OBSCURA was taken from the GORGUTS CD of the same name. Germany's OBSCURA have far more in common with NECROPHAGIST than two former members. In fact the only musical diferential between the two bands is that OBSCURA take a more melodic approach with strong progressive extreme metal influences taken straight from the DEATH, CYNIC and ATHEIST tab book. OBSCURA's "Cosmogenesis" opens with the track entitled "AntiCosmic Overload", a technical tune of blast beat laden, NECROPHAGIST/DEATH worship. However, OBSCURA are godly musicians, bassist Jeroen Thessling is amazing as his progressive jazz infuenced bass lines come thorugh audibly in the mix, OBSCURA's rythym section, and entire band sound tight. OBSCURA vocalist/guitarist, Steffen Kummerer intergrates some death metal vocals into "Anti Cosmic Overload", for at least a liitle variety as Kummerer's vocals are generic at best. "Choir of Spirits" employ death metal and screamed (blackened) vocals with a distinct CYNIC/DEATH progressive metal feel and some cool time changes. "Choirs of Spirits" riffing isn't all that original, but still tasty as the CYNIC influence is strongly felt. "Universe Momentum", again reverts back to cloning NECROPHAGIST with a nice acoustic break at 1:01, and some progressive textures ala CYNIC and ATHEIST. Acoustic vs. technical death metal passages add quite a bit of variety to OBSCURA's "Universe Momentum". "Incarted" invokes an Individual Thought Patterns/Symbolic era DEATH influence, nostalgia all the way, but well executed by OBSCURA. "Orbital Elements", opens with an epic acoustic intro and expands into a progressive metal instrumental jam out although the songwriting isn't as epic as the intro. OBSCURA's "Desolate Sphere's" opens with an ominous intro, and expands into technical death metal NECROPHAGIST riffing and believe it or not, this is a much better song than anything off of NECROPHAGIST's last release "Epitaph"..(Yes, I really just said that). OBSCURA's "Desolate Sphere's" integrates NECROPHAGIST style riffing with progressive metal textures, ala DEATH, with some tasty songwriting, not just technical wankery and shredding. "Infinite Rotation", is another well played melodic tech/metal juaggernut, with the trendy clean /electronic vocals, as the technical elements are subtle, not over played, but kinda come off as incohesive because of the lack of songwriting. OBSCURA's "Noospehre's" is just prog/metal second rate DEATH worship, with some death, clean/electronic (ala PETER FRAMPTON) and screamed vocals, quality musicanship. The title track of OBSCURA's "CosmoGenesis", is just an incohesive, progressive metal mess, but the disclaimer is, damn, these guys in OBSCURA are talented as FUCK, and.. unoriginal. OBSCURA's "CosmoGenesis" closes with it's longest track (at 7: 25) "Central Flow", with a more brutal death metal approach, perhaps a less tech, raw, more prog DEATH feel with some cool dynamics, ending with boring, repititive progressive rock riffing. It would be easy to write OBSCURA off as a second rate NECROPHAGIST clone with obvious DEATH, CYNIC and ATHEIST influences. However, OBSCURA do succeed where NECROPHAGIST failed on "Epitaph" as OBSCURA are less on the tech wankery and more on a melodic, progressive variety.. I'm not against the old "put your influences in a blender" and wa la theory, but OBSCURA's "Cosmogenesis" riffing feels plagiarized from the DEATH, CYNIC, NECROPHAGIST and ATHEIST tablature book. Ironically enough, when OBSCURA drop the obvious NECROPHAGIST clonage, and take those progressive metal, jazz influences and throw THAT into a blender, with some dynamics and acoustic variety, then ya can say wala. Otherwise, OBSCURA will have to come up with original riffs, and better songwriting, and perhaps some brutality would be nice. Again, it's hard to write OBSCURA off, COSMOGENESIS features crystal clear production, an excellent prog/jazz influenced bassist (Jeroen Thessling), and tight musicianship. OBSCURA have a good idea with the progressive metal influences, and with this bands talent, many are salivating at the potential this band could have, integrating elements of progressive metal, with tech influences. We'll see.. The irony is that OBSCURA and NECROPHAGIST are label mates (RELAPSE), LMAO. I can't say I didn't enjoy OBSCURA's "Cosmogenesis", in an almost fan nostalgia for the more progressive days of DEATH. However, most metal critics wrote thier reviews of OBSCURA's "Cosmogenesis", stating "it's the best CD of 2009" BEFORE ULCERATE, AUGURY, DYING FETUS and many other exellent and more original bands dropped releases of brutal awesomeness in the year of 2009. Thus making OBSCURA's "COSMOGENESIS" a very OVERRATED, but still enjoyable listen. ITP RATING: *** PRODUCTION: **** SONGWRITING: *** PERFORMANCE: *** 1/2 Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-