AN NCS PREMIERE: OBZERV — “PLOT TWIST”

 

As trained medical professionals it is our strenuous advice that you engage in extended neck exercises before listening to the Obzerv song that we’re presenting today. Failure to follow this directive could result in muscle sprain and vertebral trauma.

Actually, we’re not trained medical professionals, but we do have extensive experience with headbang-related physical damage, and we do know massive grooves when we hear them. You’ll hear them, and we predict you’ll be moved by them in extravagant fashion, from the very first seconds of Obzerv’s “Plot Twist“. But as the song’s title suggests, there’s more to the music than physically compulsive grooves.

 

 

“Plot Twist” is the first single from this Greek band’s second album, Acherontia Atropos, which follows their 2014 self-titled full-length record. Based on the Greek island of Crete, Obzerv’s line-up consists of Giannis Leledakis (guitars), Manos Nazlis (drums), John Mor (guitars), Petros Leledakis (bass / backing vocals), and Nikos Marinakis (vocals).

As you’ll discover through “Plot Twist”, Obzerv’s sound is a spine-shaking brand of metallic hardcore, with progressive accents and a bit of death metal in the mix as well. And yes, tremendous grooves are a central part of the experience, with the punch powerfully delivered by gut-slugging drum-and-bass work, head-battering snare rhythms, and syncopated riffs with a cold, grim tone. There’s razor-sharp precision in this assault and battery, which contrasts with firebrand vocals that scald the senses with the kind of raw and livid howls that cause one to image a rabid wolf in attack mode.

As forecast above, however, there’s more to the song than qualities that induce reflexive movement. Wriggling, writhing, and darting guitar leads add infectious energy to the music, and boiling fret-swarms channel viciousness, just as syncopated pulsations flare and rise like bursts of light.

With a title like “Plot Twist”, you might expect one in the song, and sure enough, about 3 1/2 minutes in, the music changes. It will still want to make you move, but the vibrant hum of the bass, the sparkling guitar strings, and a vivid drum pattern (with some brief clean vocals) change the mood. But that beguiling interlude is soon enough detonated by a darting riff, punishing drums, and a searing and scintillating lead. At the close, the rhythm section falls silent, and the gleaming reverberations of strummed chords end it.

 

 

Those who remember such groups as A Life Once Lost and Living Sacrifice should find a lot to like here, but anyone who enjoys a good neck workout ought to find “Plot Twist” appealing, especially if you also appreciate layers of intricacy entwined with all the muscle triggers.

For more info about the release of the album as it becomes available, follow Obzerv through the links below. (Credit for the powerhouse production goes to Jon Mor Productions and 8 Production Studio, and to Mike Kalajian (Rogue Planet Mastering). The fascinating cover art was created by VisionBlack, and Silver Steel Studio created the video.

OBZERV ON THE WEB:
https://www.facebook.com/obzervband/
https://www.instagram.com/obzerv_band/
https://www.obzervband.com
https://obzerv.bandcamp.com/