OBSCURITIES – VOLUME XV: LES GRANDES ÉQUIPES

(With the merry month of March now in our rearview mirror, here we present Daniel Barkasi‘s lavish reviews of six noteworthy albums released during those 31 days.)

We’re going to start talking a bit about football, as I have in some of my previous entries. Not the American kind, but the one that’s actually played with feet. Much like music, it’s one of those things that’s always a constant in my life, bringing many highs and lows, with the deep passion and incredible history of so many clubs keeping me invested. Football in many ways can be a microcosm of the greater world that it’s so ingrained within. Didier Drogba and his Côte d’Ivoire teammates famously inspiring a halt to a civil war is an example of the unification that can happen due to this sporting endeavor. With the World Cup coming to the US next year, one can hope for it to be some kind of catalyst of togetherness as well.

As my beloved Liverpool FC (hopefully) move towards a second Premier League crown – three points in the bag at a tense affair against Steve Harris’ boyhood club West Ham United at time of writing – this is the time of the season where the stakes are so incredibly high. The Champions League is entering its final stages, and the intrigue is palpable as clubs rise and fall. To the uninitiated, this is the biggest club competition in the world, where the top European sides face off in a long and winding competition.

It’s true that two clubs that make my body wretch have won it the last four years, and three times against clubs I have unending admiration for (other than LFC) in Inter and Borussia Dortmund. The latter two are still in the competition this year, though BVB will no doubt be exiting soon after being embarrassed 4-0 by a young and hungry Barcelona in their quarter-final first leg. Inter, however, won their first leg 2-1 against German powerhouse and my wife’s favorite club, Bayern Munich (sorry, Britt, but Forza Inter).

The most satisfying, however, was Arsenal’s victory over Real Madrid. I don’t exactly have much love for the Arse, but against Real Madrid, call me a Gooner for a day or two. Declan Rice’s insane free kick goal planted the old jaw firmly on the ground… until he did it again, and even better. One can only hope that Real can be kept at bay from their unreasonable penchant to do the impossible in this competition, and send their entitled selves hurtling toward the exit.

As I said, for me at least, football is about profound passion, and the struggle against all odds that it often so poetically portrays. The endorphin rush I get when finding an album I absolutely love is similar to Mo Salah netting a cracking goal in front of The Kop, and March has brought us plenty to satiate that thirst for the memorable in heavy music.

Read on for a smattering of diversified selections that all have profound impact and absolutely unrelenting musical prowess and are just as awesome as Man City’s failures this season. Yeah, schadenfreude can be quite the delicious morsel.

 

Scalpture – Landkrieg

Release Date: March 7, 2025

Germany is a country with no lack of quality death metal these days, and it’s many of the lesser known entities that spark the brightest. Scalpture is one such act, who are now on their fourth full-length, titled Landkrieg. Predecessor Feldwärts is where the five-piece made a definitive statement for yours truly, by way of their Bolt Thrower-esque voicings and Asphyx-level heaviness, wrapped together within forward-thinking compositions based on past wars.

The subject of war is nothing new in the death metal realm – Landkrieg translates to “Land War/Warfare” in English – though Scalpture aren’t in the business of glorification, but proceed more from a reflective and historical context. The theme is the Thirty Years War, and the musical stylings are just as brutal as said ravaging conflict. The quick and hard-hitting “Into Catastrophe” rumbles forward without mercy, with pummeling, marching rhythms and wailing, monstrous rhythm guitar tones. Vocalist Thorsten Pieper channels his inner Martin van Drunen via his coarse roar and undeniable presence, while guitarists Felix Marbach and Tobias Aselmann sprinkle in melodic moments when the mood fits amongst the crushing riffage.

To their credit, Landkrieg is more than just straight up abrasive death metal. The occasional punk edge surfaces here and there – the chanting bits of “Til jeret undergang” and “Hell’s Choirs Chant” serve as fine examples – and there’s plenty of melody to be had, especially in the lead work throughout the record. “Wallenstein” differingly boasts a tense, infectious buildup that sprouts into a death/doom masterclass. Bassist Niklas Neuwöhner shines multiple times with his quick finger movements – “Den mörka nattens lejon” showcases some of his best work – meshing well with skinsman Moritz Nixdorf. If you want quick-hitting annihilation, there’s plenty of that on offer, with “Schwedentrunk” sticking out as particularly effective.

Mid-paced smash fest “Of Siege and Besieged” may be the personal standout, with pulverizing guitar work and a meticulous, relentless aura being impossible to deny. Truth be told, Landkrieg shines pillar to post, representing a carefully constructed and nuanced hammer of death metal goodness. Scalpture may be the best death metal band everyone in the genre doesn’t know about, but if there’s any justice, that obscurity won’t last long.

 

Shrine of Denial – I, Moloch

Release Date: March 7, 2025

Coming out of nowhere is the brand-new black/death metal project Shrine of Denial and their debut record I, Moloch. Immediately, the glorious artwork of Juanjo Castellano sets the stage for what’s to come from the ensemble hailing from Türkiye. It’s no surprise that this is a Transcending Obscurity release – they have just about the best track record of finding the best young up-and-comers, and this may be one of their better finds in the last few years.

What’s presented is a refined, focused, and technical concept to blackened death metal. “Climbing Through the Nothingness” sets an ominous atmosphere twisted with a dizzying array of wild and precise guitar exploits. Shrine of Denial’s output is dense and busy, but within that isn’t a messy clutter, but more of a dialed-in and intricate variety that serves the band extremely well. Also notable is Eray Nabi’s dry, cavernous vocal delivery, slotting in like the perfectly cut puzzle piece, accentuating the band’s haunting, grandiose feel.

“A Sanctuary in the Depths of the Realms” continues the weaving affront, dripping with black metal dreariness and accented with complex, bold riffs in a glum wrapper. The title track adds tiny bits of melodic sensibility – for a few seconds anyway – before slowing to a more medium tempo, allowing the mesmerizing drumming of Berk Köktürk to shine. The title track and “Pillars of Ice” give added flair by way of cutting soloing, whilst the latter also leans further toward the murky black metal end of the spectrum. “Oneiros” lessens the speed even further, metastasizing a sinister vibe driven by the twin axe affront of Denizkaan Araci and Onur Uslu.

Shrine of Denial don’t dabble in extended compositions – the longest is the opener at around four-and-a-half minutes – opting instead for quick hit pieces that are packed to the brim. This serves I, Moloch nicely, leaving absolutely no filler in the album’s condensed runtime that just barely eclipses the 30-minute mark. With an increasing flow of quality extreme metal coming from Türkiye, Shrine of Denial’s impactful and addicting first foray leaves these ears excited for what may come next from that scene.

 

This Gift Is a Curse – Heir

Release Date: March 7, 2025

Effectively mixing genres is one of this scribe’s favorite tendencies in the heavy music realm. There’s seemingly infinite possibilities, and often to varying results. However, when it clicks just right, it’s nigh unstoppable.

This Gift Is a Curse is a band who not only get it right, but conjure music so blissfully sinister that it creeps into your bones. Delicately combining the chilling side of black metal with the droning bleakness of sludge and the abrasive, in-your-face attitude of hardcore, these Swedes have been obliterating our very existence with imperviousness since their self-titled 2010 EP (or earlier for those who got a hold of their 2009 demo). Their work has been becoming increasingly more aggressive and grim over the years (well chronicled by our own Andy Synn), with 2019’s A Throne of Ash representing their most powerful recording so far. Heir follows after a nearly six-year wait, and my, was the time worth it.

Not going for brevity, Heir clocks in at over an hour of rich, layered intensity. This Gift Is a Curse notoriously take their time breaking down the listener, with mammoth crescendos punctuating the alarming audible destruction. “Kingdom” commences proceedings à la piercing, ringing lead guitars and explosive percussive work courtesy of Christian Augustin. Sticking out immediately is the filthy, nasty guitar tone – part reverberating drone, part chilling and dismal, it’s an integral piece of their sound. Vocalist/guitarist Patrik Andersson contorts his voice in all sorts of forms: bellowing roars, hardcore shouts, frigid screams, moans, and everything in between. His efforts make the listener feel every note and passage profoundly.

“No Sun, Nor Moon” is soaked in a malignant sludgy atmosphere and a heaping load of build, penultimately boasting a repeating chorus that blows the proverbial doors off. Those damn riffs are pure filth, in the best way. “Void Bringer” brings a horror-inspired grandiosity in an extensive track that embodies Amenra in sheer scope and the wildly varying pace – the clean interlude adds pensive apprehension leading to unfettered angst –  while interjecting their own murky flavor.

Looking for more direct rage, “Death Maker” and to an extent “Vow Sayer” bring that style of raw savagery. “Cosmic Voice” on the other hand is a thumping, synth-heavy piece that stands out from the rest, while “Old Space” provides a slower, plodding pace that invokes a similar dreadful mood, both managing to utilize differing approaches while cleverly cultivating a frightening semblance. “Ascension” concludes in a deeply hypnotic, nuanced fashion, all while bloodying the listener via rhythms that abruptly smash one in the jaw.

There’s a lot to wade in on Heir, and it certainly took many listens to fully grasp and appreciate the gritty details. However, This Gift Is a Curse grips quickly and tightly, and before one knows it, Heir has you, and you don’t mind one bit. Virulent as Alta Rossa and as diabolical as Hexis, This Gift Is a Curse is a scourge that this writer will gladly take on. Heir is as noxious, contentious, and refined as anything we’ve heard this year, and no doubt we’ll be discovering new things as this receives plenty more plays in our rotation.

 

Aran Angmar – Ordo Diabolicum

Release Date: March 21, 2025

Offering a robust, bombastic brand of black metal, Aran Angmar defy the trends that bands of their ilk typically abide by. Not overindulging in overt symphonics that suck the power out of the music, but instead opting for a more gripping, intense, forthright affair driven by distinctive vocalizations and instrumental prowess. Their third full-length Ordo Diabolicum serves as their tightest, most captivating yet.

To be fair, it took a few listens for me to really begin to appreciate Ordo Diabolicum. There was something there, but it needed to stew over some time to seep in. Coming back to it is where the album vividly entrenched itself, which goes to show that giving the proper time is vital to fully understanding an album.

The inclusion of Middle Eastern instruments in places – especially “Primordial Fire” – adds a fresh flavor to the album’s hefty black metal stylization, which contains a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern tinge throughout. Opener “Dungeons of the Damned” is sharp and melodic, complete with effective clean chants to contrast lead vocalist Lord Abagor’s gruff growls, which lean towards the death metal spectrum. Tribal chants begin “Aeon Ablaze” with a measured tone, before traversing into a searing melo-black feast. The operatic female vocals included in a few places add to the epicness of the track, adding further disparity to the band’s methods. On the surface, this could come across as shoehorned in because they could, but that thankfully is not the case, bringing much diversification to Aran Angmar’s sound that isn’t quite like any of their peers.

A blackened/death onslaught permeates the title track, built upon speedy and thick riffage that doesn’t quit while never losing their melodious sensibilities. “Crown of the Gods” provides a mythical atmosphere driven by phenomenal drum lines, as the chugging rhythm guitars battle back and forth with deep chants and emotive leads. “Chariots of Death” is similar in this department, though with an increased urgency.

Aran Angmar have a particularly rare accomplishment on their hands with Ordo Diabolicum, in the fact that they’ve managed to take folk, symphonic, and sometimes clichéd elements and gracefully combine them within a raging black metal framework that’s executed blissfully. Maintaining such authenticity to go along with slick songwriting and blazing Hellenic black metal is a feat not always reached within the genre. If Ordo Diabolicum doesn’t grip you right away, give it time – Aran Angmar will have you in their clutches sooner or later, for your absolute betterment.

 

Spiine – Tetraptych

Release Date: March 27, 2025

Speaking of an album that requires keen attention and a bit of time to sink in, we have Spiine’s debut Tetraptych. A duo consisting of Virgin Black guitarist Sesca Scaarba and now former Ne Obliviscaris and current Omega Infinity frontman Xen, the pedigree is without question. Other than the main two members, Opeth drummer Waltteri Väyrynen performs the drums and My Dying Bride’s Lena Abé the bass tracks, adding even further clout to the debut.

With some serious heavy hitters involved, one may create unrealistic expectations in their head. Fear not, as Tetraptych is a marathon of funeral-adjacent doom with a heavy blackened lean that oozes soul and utter hopelessness, as all the best albums of this persuasion do. You also better strap in for the long haul; of the four songs on offer, the shortest is a “brief” 14 minutes, with an overall runtime over an hour. This is doom, after all!

“Myroblysiia” provides a gothic feel, with smart usage of pianos and violins throughout, with booming, extended riffs that work together with Xen’s hearty roar with aplomb. A theme of heartwrenching, cold emptiness reverberates through Tetraptych, though there’s also a melancholic side to the coin – especially in “Glaciial” – to mix with the bleak tonality and unrelenting, gloriously crunchy guitars. “Oubliiette” provides an unhinged and unpredictable feel through its plodding, stirring journey, while “Wriithe” contains incomparably gorgeous and emotive guitar work the likes of which we’ve not heard with regularity. They walk a balance between the delicate and the demonstrably caustic heaviness like an expert tightrope walker, making the listener hang on to each drawn-out note for dear life.

Tetraptych equates to a weighty, onerous journey which leaves a downtrodden mark that won’t be easy to forget – not that we’d want to. The players involved make this no surprise, but as much as I adore Virgin Black and Ne Obliviscaris and this duo’s work in those respective bands, leave any inhibitions or commonalities at the door, as Spiine is a monster of its own disparate form. An exquisite musical opus of dejection and distress, Tetraptych is an album one experiences rather than merely listens to. I challenge any doom album this year to measure up.

 

Pillars of Cacophony – Paralipomena

Release Date: March 28, 2025

Finally, we have technical death/black metal based on scientific themes, with every single piece created and played by… an actual scientist. Dominik Bulfon is a scientist from Austria who happens to create wildly precise death metal under the guise of Pillars of Cacophony. According to the Encyclopaedia Metallum, “the band’s logo is their name spelt out in Circular Gallifreyan, from the Dr. Who media franchise.” What’s not to love about all of this?

Paralipomena is in fact Bulfon’s second album under this project. Parerga being the first back in 2021, was one that we missed that year, but dove into naturally, and it’s a slick, veteran-level album that’s wholly impressive on its own. Paralipomena builds on the foundation laid by said debut, adding more black metal influences and genre-defying twists to progress forward. At the heart of it, we have extremely adept and complex techy death, but it’s not the kind that’s a mashup of fretboard madness that’s difficult to play but also not all that enjoyable to actually listen to. Paralipomena knows when to dazzle and when to take a step back to allow a song – and us – to catch our collective breath, all while filling many beakers with meaty riffs and even some melody here and there.

Tracks like “Of Plaques and Fibrils” take their time to break down the listener with thick dissonance, while unleashing biting guitar licks and tantalizing riffs when the time is right. “4°C” is as frigid as one would hope with such a title, utilizing black metal tidbits amongst the rumbling rhythmic dance that’s plotted so meticulously. “Retina” overflows with a blunt, forceful bucket of shredding goodness, whereas “Cachexia” grimly takes on the subject in the title. With Bulfon participating in cancer research, this subject especially makes sense, and unironically, is one of the most virulent and incongruous tracks on Paralipomena.

To borrow and slightly modify for our own purposes from the once briefly intelligent George Costanza: “It’s a smart album, and a smart crowd will appreciate it. And I’m not gonna dumb it down for some bonehead mass audience.” Jokes aside, this is legitimately a brilliantly intelligent album in every possible sense of the word. Even if separated from the subject matter and the creator’s profession, Paralipomena stands tall musically, as deeply hard-hitting and enticing of a tech death album as has come around since Ulthar’s incisive double album two years back. Pillars of Cacophony’s sophomore effort possesses a measuring of everything, from the pinpoint resonance to the compositional acumen and an unending supply of riffs that’ll vaporize the listener like an intermolecular force. Sign me up for a trial of whatever this talented fellow comes up with next.

 

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