Aggressive yet Symphonic - The French intense symphonic group has return, and again with an album which I m particularly fond of. After the noisy Drudenhaus I was somewhat sceptical of what could possibly follow the mad-strings and over-yelling which transforms my insane cats in little scared pussies from one instant into another. New Obscurantis Order is the name of their blasting new album and they ve done it again - another brilliant piece of extreme music, well-achieved, with a good production and plenty of aggression. The violins, piano, orchestral passages and other grandiose instruments reproduced via synthesiser are almost perfect in it s sound and fidelity, very difficulty one can notice the difference between this virtual orchestra and a real one. Using more or less the same terms of Mr. Hreidmarr, the bands spokesman, this album is more controlled and less hysterical, I believe these two adjectives speak form themselves quite well and describe the album in a simple form to all those who were familiar with the previous release(s). Indeed I felt Drudenhaus as a heavy dose of hysteria. This one, on the other hand, seems to me as being far more monumental and it quickly becomes clear it was well arranged and thought-over. The blast-beats carried out by drums, guitars and vocals are nearly close to insanity, with very much speed and musicianship involved. Consistency is a main element herein, supported in great part by the keyboards which refresh the music and lead along with strings adding harmonies and technical interludes. The chorus used on one of the tracks is also very nice, not to mention the fantastic Candlemass cover of Solitude! Abyss Magazine @ Nuno M. [CR]
Ultra-violent yet beautifully symphonic - First of all, let me say this is possibly the most violent and extreme metal I have ever heard, yet, this album is a beautifully crafted melodic,violent and symphonic masterpiece.Each song is a mini-epic journey through artistic metal.This album mixes style of Emperor(Anthems era,for that epic symphonic feel)Dimmu Borgir(Spiritual Black Dimensions, for a majestic melodic feeel), and Dark Funeral for the ultra-violent and unrelentless metal attack..This album kills and so does Drudenhaus.As the old masters fall new ones rise and with them a new style of extreme metal..Buy this, you won t be dissapointed.
Bombastic, epic, poetic, gorgeous and symphonic - Let me start by saying this:This is easily one of the best, if not THE best, keyboardist I have ever heard. Listen to Hail Tyranny if you don t believe me.Now, the album. There have been 2 other albums before this and follow in the same vein. The music is black metal, played as heavy as some of the most proficient artists in the scene (Immortal, Dark Funeral), yet the atmosphere sets this apart. The keyboardist is simply amazing. Violins and pianos rage across the whole album. It is simply amazing. The drumming is an incredible test of stamina, and while there are no powerful leads, the melody in the riff is awesome. The vocals are a mix of black and some clean vocalist.Lyrics are misanthropic, dark and haunting. And yes, even some french and other launguages are used.Do not believe what you hear about these guys sounding like Cradle of Filth, that is aboslutely wrong. The only comparison that can be made is their image may be similar. To sum up, this is a symphonic, heavy as hell black metal release that needs to be discovered by more people. Oddly, they come from the deserted metal abyss of France, but believe me, this album kills.