Wednesday, September 19, 2012

The Obelisk








    If your taste in music is more in the realm of cliche modern power pop then if you see this band run away, run far away. The Obelisk is not for the faint of heart. With Pierre Worth and Lee Iliev on guitar pounding out some of the dirtiest guitar tones I've ever heard with an insane chugging sensibility. They also add a slight melodic undertone which is refreshing for such a heavy band. Josh Stevens obliterates his vocal chords to bring you the snarling growl that is the voice of The Obelisk. Ethan Shoun's bass tone is so low that it beautifully drones the music along while still keeping the groove touch that the bass needs to bring. Michael Federico drumming is just insane. His technique is nearly flawless and double bass ability is just remarkable. All that said, The Obelisk's members cohesive sound is just thunderingly brutal. If you come this band to hear a catchy whiny hook then look elsewhere because this band only serves the purpose of bringing out the primal nature in all of us. When going to one of their shows expect to come home with a sore neck and a couple bruises.

     The Obelisk's EP 'The Great Aerial Wanderer' begins with the track 'The Hour of Our Time.' The songs starts off with a bit of electronic feel which transfers nicely into the almost back-and-forth vocal style this song demonstrates. The song is a solid opener, but it definitely is not their strongest work. It is just enough to bring you in. The second track on the EP is 'Argot.' There is a very melodic tinge to the intro which brings you in just enough so that the vocals smack you in the face when they come in. 'Argot' is definitely the most melodic song on the EP with sweltering guitar leads and ferocious breakdowns. 'Earth Above' is the third song on the EP and is by far the heaviest. At a mere two minutes and twenty seconds, which is short give the length of the other tracks, 'Earth Above' sludges along with insane dynamics. At one second there will be fleeting guitar leads, and the next the guitars will be droningly chugging along. If you're into heavy, give 'Earth Above' a listen first. The final tack on the EP is 'Infernalis.' This is by far the strongest song on the EP given it's pace and overall feel. The moment that stands out the most to me in this song occurs in the last few seconds of the song, and it is a quote from Donnie Darko. 'Infernalis ends the EP ends incredibly well, and really sums up the entire feel of the EP.  

     If you're into heavy or you just want to try something different; give The Obelisk a listen. Metal has never truly been my forte, but I did rather enjoy this EP. You can download it for free from The Obelisk's website.


   

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