Obsidian Kingdom « The RingMaster Review

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When a band lists someone like the brilliant French experimental / avant-garde metallers Pryapisme as an influence we have to sit up and be seriously intrigued, and so it was with Russian band Second To Sun and their recent Three Fairy Tales EP and following singles. The trio did not disappoint either, unleashing their own distinct and furiously flavoursome instrumental alchemy across enthralling tracks thrilling and igniting the senses. Describing themselves as playing “modern and hardcore music with the elements of black metal and ethnic Finno-Ugric music”, it only gives a hint of their impressively diverse and seamlessly sculpted tapestry of sound. Arguably it is not as psyche stretching as the music of their French inspirations, but every song has a creative drama and refreshing unpredictability, not forgetting striking craft, which has ears and imagination in bliss.

Second To Sun began in 2012, created by guitarist Vladimir Klimov-Lehtinen and drummer Artem Vishnyakov. First EP The God’s Favourite Whore was the band’s first declaration but followed soon after by the departure of Vishnyakov. Though initially working alone, Klimov-Lehtinen eventually brought bassist Anton Danilevsky and drummer Theodor Borowski into the band with the trio unveiling debut album Based On A True Story in 2013. Last year saw the release of Three Fairy Tales and subsequently two singles ending with Spirit Of Kusoto last December, all awakening an increasingly broader spotlight on the exhilarating sound of the band beyond Russian borders.

Three Fairy Tales opens with the outstanding theatre of The Trapper, a track swiftly building a tall sonic narrative of blackened intrigue and melodic toxicity. With rhythms swiping with fully flexed muscles, the track is an imposing and gripping protagonist from its first breath but soon showing its penchant for slipping into unexpected and fluidly evolved detours. For the main though the song is a predatory confrontation, sparking with the creative fury of a Meshuggah and the raw toxins of a Dodheimsgard. As it evolves and expands its temptation, a kaleidoscope of imaginative adventure and creative drama enters the resourceful tempest; keys spurting out bedlamic expression and guitars a virulent sonic seduction which leaves ears and emotions basking in the dark adventure. The track provides music you can imagine fitting twenty first century interpretations of Hans Christian Andersen tales and darker gothic persuasions.

The electronica seeded Merämaa comes next with bubbly synth lit vivacity to its intimidating yet bewitching shadows. Stabbing bass and guitar bait is a staggered lure within the almost folkish revelry of the piece whilst intrusive rhythms align and twist their tempting to it all with almost St Vitus dance like voracity. The song flows and erupts with inescapable contagion, providing a festival of sound and intensity which is as threatening as it is invigorating.

Closing track Barmaley lies somewhere between the previous two, its heavier antagonistic rhythms and uncompromising intensity colluding with feverishly coloured and melodically fuelled tenacity. As the first pair of songs, it is an invitation to senses and imagination to run with their own provocative tales and exploits, providing all the raw and thrilling material for dark tales and cinematic exploits to be conjured. There is a feel of Obsidian Kingdom to the track in some ways too ensuring the song makes for another irresistible emprise to greedily devour.

Released just before Christmas, the bands new single Spirit Of Kusoto unveils another mesmeric and corrosive side to Second To Sun’s sound and imagination. It is soaker in a harsher and less forgiving texture and presence than those songs on the EP but still infuses a veining of sonic radiance and melodic devilry to temper and ignite the savagery elsewhere. At times almost punkish in its hardcore causticity, the track feverishly worms under the skin and scores the psyche with consummate ease.

We have not mentioned the excellent track Narčat, a single coming between the two above releases, but it also, as Second To Sun itself, is a definite recommendation…actually make that a must for all avant-garde and adventurous metal fans.

The Three FairyTales and Spirit Of Kusoto are available @ http://secondtosun.bandcamp.com/

http://www.secondtosun.net/

RingMaster 06/01/2015

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It has to be said that when reading the introductory email from Spanish band Obsidian Kingdom and seeing them describe their debut album Mantiis as ‘a conceptual rock opera’ a keen shudder went from shoulder to shoulder and head to toe, though the following ‘that flows through different genres’ certainly intrigued. So after admittedly putting it off longer than we would have wished a plunge into its depths was made followed by a good kicking of oneself for not doing it sooner. Mantiis is exceptional, its sounds and formation far exceeding and different to expectations, and a release which has yet to escape a daily investigation.

The album is certainly a concept album though the rock opera tag does diminish its lure and misguide. Consisting of one piece of song split into fourteen seamlessly connecting pieces, Mantiis is magnetic to thoughts and compelling to the senses, its construction impressive and innovative. The tracks do work strongly as individual encounters but to reap the biggest rewards from the release and own thoughts, absorbing it in one fluid listen is essential. The album also as mentioned evolves through multiple styles and genres but with coherent and seamless transitions which swoop upon the ear with unannounced mastery and imagination. Obsidian Kingdom is described as a post-metal band with rich veins of progressive rock and experimental invention but as the album reveals even that expansive description is limiting to the stunning creativity going on. Consisting of Rider G Omega (guitars and vocals), Prozoid Zeta JSI (guitars), Zer0 Æmeour Íggdrasil (keys and vocals), Fleast Race O’Uden (bass), and Ojete Mordaza II (drums), the Barcelona based band has built on and evolved from their previous EPs, Matter of 2007and 3:11 of 2010, to create their most ambitious project yet with the Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia) mastered Mantiis.

The release opens with the chilled ambience of Not Yet Five, its singular breath alone within a brewing rasping intensity. As the bass carves its melancholic presence within the haunting keys and cold ambience the guitars sculpt an indistinct yet mesmeric image in thoughts, their sound and emotive intent reminding of The Cure around their second album. As a tempestuous shadow looms nearer well into the track a sense of foreboding is thick enough to taste yet is held back to seemingly dissipate as Oncoming Dark takes over the narrative. Driven by a wonderfully acoustic guitar core and similarly persuasive clean Peter Gabriel like vocals, the track has a Latin embrace to its rock stroll and melodic flames. It is a sensational piece and only the first of so many. Igniting its urgency for a rousing climax it evolves into the crystalline entrance of Through the Glass where again melodic enterprise and sonic endeavour make the warmest wrap. Richly infectious and equally incendiary to mental imagery, something which evolves itself during each companionship with the album, the piece of music offers a classic metal fire with King Diamond like lining. Three tracks in and already the release has drawn on the essences of a varied seed base, with the following blackened Cinnamon Balls with rasping serpentine black metal vocals framing the emerging tale and its technical metal coaxing, just another thrilling shift in stance, flavour, and imagination.

The temptation to go through every track is irresistible but with restraint in place as we go on, further expressive highlights in nothing but stunning invention throughout the album, come in firstly Last of the Light. It is a carefully forged merger of harshly driven erosion vocally and seductive enthralment melodically which shifts from a grasping toxic rough caress through a piano framed emotive elegance with guitar heat burning wonderfully, to a jazz hearted exploration of the heart. Haunts of the Underworld is another charmer which ignites intense ardour, its compelling beauty and peaceful yet energetic beckoning paced by shadows which open their arms into a fiery intensity which captivates rather than approaching as a violent transgressor.

The closing moment of the album is arguably its greatest success, though choice of best track shifts from listen to listen. Starting with a rhythmic military ‘two-step’, Ball-Room entices with folk metal fingertips before releasing more black metal toxins into its deliciously expressive breast. Blending in melodic rock hooks and power metal like energy, as well as great clean vocals alongside the insidious caustic graze, it is an outstanding and irresistible dance which moves into the equally stunning closing piece, And Then it Was, which continues in the same formidable and diverse vein whilst offering its own individual nuances and imagination.

Mantiis is nothing like you are imagining, even now, but an album which will elevate you to a satisfaction and bliss only a few releases each year is capable of. Obsidian Kingdom has just become a lustful favourite here.

Get Mantiis free from http://obsidiankingdom.bandcamp.com/album/mantiis

http://obsidiankingdom.com/

9.5/10

RingMaster 29/03/2013

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