Thrashman’s Metal Pick Of The Week

Okay...so this week I'm going with German tech-death metallers Obscura's new album Omnivium. Obscura are a band that take their music seriously and Omnivium is a testament to their dedication to the craft.

I'm gonna avoid the obvious Necrophagist comparisons that come along with the fact that one, the band is from the same scene and fit nicely alongside Necrophagist and two, there are former members of aforementioned band in Obscura and instead focus on what sets this band apart from their peers.

Obscura offer up a unique blend of brutality, technicality and dare I say, melody to a genre that begs for eclecticism. I love how the band mixes up the vocals in that they deliver everything from clean vocals to a more middle-of-the-road Pantera style to extreme death and black metal style vocals. And make no mistake about it, the band understands the need for dynamic musically with complex blasting death metal riffs as the meat and potatoes of their songwriting complimented with nice, clean acoustic pieces.

Death metal is a genre chock full of musicians who know how to play their instruments and these guys are a cut above the rest. Highlights on the album include "A Transcendental Serenade", "Euclidean Elements" and "Ocean Gateways". Bring your balls and a taste for well thought-out music when you spin this record.

Omnivium is out now on Relapse Records.