Obsidyen – Litany Of Iah

Written by on 25-11-2023 at 09:27.

Obsidyen is a French post-black metal band that takes another path than simply bringing anti-religious themes. The band released the debut album Antediluvian Scriptum in 2020, which most likely escaped us, as I found no review on our site. According to the promo, the band’s main sources of inspiration are: alien life, abductions, biblical mythology and the apocalypse. The second album, to be reviewed here, is the first of a trilogy, says band leader Omega, which is based on “Cult of the Serpent”. This storyline finds its origin in ancient Egypt. The promo further states that the music is extremely suitable for people who appreciate Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, Emperor, Misþyrming, Funeral Mist, Dodheimsgard and Abigor. Something tells me that this isn’t going to be an easy listen. We’re going for it anyway.

Ceux qui viennent d’en-haut serves as an intro with pure ethereal female chants. The band then immediately hits it full blast with the title track. The mesmerizing riffs seem to be a typical trademark of French black metal bands. In terms of sound, the band is somewhat reminiscent of Celeste, although I have the feeling that Obsidyen seeks out complexity a bit more, especially in terms of drumming. In most cases the guitar work sounds very exciting, with the lead providing the most variation. The abrasive black metal throat of vocalist OMEGA is impressive. Wonderfully possessed, this guy knows how to spit his lyrics over the imposing music. His breakfast apparently went down the wrong way, because my goodness, the man sounds in a bad mood during An Ancient Age. The beautiful short bridge of resonating guitar sounds is a harbinger for the absurd frenzy that this French band delivers very tastefully thereafter. A pack of blastbeats for your nerves! OMEGA really has had it now, as his evil screams seem to be a result of intense demonic teasing. Towards the end things calm down a bit and the group contunues with more temporized music.

The Passenger of Nout starts with slightly melancholic sounds, and then plays with some groove, as we know from Gojira. The biggest difference is that it all sounds a bit more in a minor key here and that the band soon picks up the pace again. By slowing down the pace for a few minutes, the French are not making things too easy for themselves. Admittedly it provides some variation, but the natural flow is also lost for a short time. However, that doesn’t matter if the songwriting has enough substance. Fortunately, that is largely the case here. The band is at its strongest when the aggression and tempo are at full speed. After an introductory part with ethereal chants, the group rushes again to convince the listener with fast black metal during The Eternal Confinement. But it is the atmosphere that makes this song extremely enjoyable. Complex drum patterns, layered guitar parts and the integration of the already known chants create a continuously tense atmosphere. More than once the band breaks loose, unleashed like a wild animal trapped in a cage. A moment in which the band incorporates more staccato riffs into the already interesting black metal quickly makes it impossible for me to sit still. What an incredibly cool and beastly song this is!

The last and longest song of almost eleven (!) minutes Apophis then has a more Polish feel (Behemoth). The labyrinth riffs may mean that you temporarily have to keep a cool head so as not to get lost. The tornado subsides briefly, allowing OMEGA to make full use of his scream. Perhaps not completely comparable, but in terms of impact this is equal to the possesses state of mind of Nordjevel. After seven minutes the gentlemen switch back again to convey the gloomy atmosphere through spoken words and drawn-out riffs. And to my great joy the groove and staccato thing comes back. Goddamn, what an incredibly strong album technically. As expected, not too easy, but very nice listening material! I will definitely keep an eye on this Obsidyen. Are you sure you do too?

Score:

93/100

Label:

Drowning In Chaos Records, 2023

Tracklisting:

  1. Ceux qui viennent d’en-haut
  2. Litany of Iah
  3. An Ancient Age
  4. The Passenger of Nout
  5. The Eternal Confinement
  6. Apophis

Line-up:

  • OMEGA – Vocals, Rhythmguitar
  • KHARON – Leadguitar
  • SONN – Basguitar
  • DAMIAN – Drums

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