Obscurial – Heretic
Release Date: 22nd April 2024
Label: Memento Mori, Necrolatry Records, Violence in the Veins.
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal.
FFO: Grave Miasma, Bloodbath, Hypocrisy, Brain Dead, Grave, Morbid Angel.
Review By: Rick Farley
Hailing from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, death metal blasphemers Obscurial are set to release full length album number two, Heretic on Memento Mori April 22nd, 2024, three years after their debut full length Funeral, Burial and Rites put the death metal underground on notice. The vinyl version of Heretic is being released by Violence in the Veins, while Necrolatry Records are releasing the cassette tape version. Ripping, crunchy, modern death metal with a taste of thrash and a fatal dose of the old school, this band tears through the walls with high gain trebly guitars and malevolently energetic songs.
Before we get to the better stuff, I do have criticisms that I would rather just get out now than wait till later when everyone is all juiced up to hear it. The guitar tone, while cool, is extremely treble forward, causing a tinny, sharp slicing of the eardrum. It can occasionally be too much. That could be by design, but after a couple full listens in headphones, my ears were relatively fatigued. There is a solid foundation of low-end punch that helps, but it needs something a little more to soften the high gain a tad. The other issue with Heretic I have is the two bookend instrumentals. The first being a laughing, gurgling creature making noises, asking “where are the children” over top atmospheric spooky synths that goes on for a little over a minute. Once the first actual song kicks in, you will quickly realize how this does not fit in anywhere with the rest of the album. Second, the final track is just three minutes of over delayed guitar filler that does nothing for the record. Sounds harsh, I know, but my critique sounds worse than it actually is. Honestly, the thirty-five minutes in between those two tracks fucking rips.
With that said, the songwriting is top-notch, proving that death metal will always be relevant regardless of sub-genre if it’s written well. Dismal, eerie atmosphere within loud, forward moving chaotic guitar riffs and pummelling drum work. Raspy growls, dark moods, blast beats and a sonic barrage of reverb soaked, cavernous solos that are so delightfully old school evil, you will be non-stop headbanging and sacrificing goats. Actually, do not do that.
Track two, Blasphemous Cult, introduces the crushingly heavy and merciless battering of double bass and crisp tremolo picking. Densely metallic, the chug to trills style of riffs amps the intensity level sky-high. Circle of Heretics hulking crunch is wickedly barbaric, it gallops into sickening twists and turns, while the savage growls tear out your innards. The darkness from Carrion Disease mixed with huge chords and twisted leads are utterly vile. Cryptic solos that will haunt you for days, sorrowful guitar melodies over crisp, razor-sharp riffs are texturally jarring but work so well. Obscurial nails the frighteningly diabolic aesthetic.
Heretic is a ravenously attacking record. Tons of fast tempos, but with a good sense of when to slow things down a bit and just brutalize. Atmospherically, this album sounds evil, with a sinister sense of depth beyond just the riffs and drums. Exhilarating tension from the ambience in the background enhances the overall blistering vibe. If not for unnecessary filler and a guitar tone that is not entirely easy on the ears with multiple listens, I would have ticked this up more. Overall, though, when you do put this one on, you will be jamming pretty god-damned hard. 
(3.5 / 5)
