OBSEQUIAE - Suspended in the Brume of Eos reissue
20 Buck Spin
When I saw that 20 Buck Spin was reissuing this one I just had to smile. This release originally came to me back in 2011. It was put out back then by Bindrune Recordings. And even though it was an obscure release at the time. In my favorite releases list for that year it held the number five spot. And you might remember 2011 was a very good year for metal so there you go.
So what made OBSEQUIAE's debut so amazing was how they incorporated pagan folk medieval sounds into black metal. At that time the band was a duo from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Back then the band consisted of Tanner Anderson (aka: Blondel de Nesle) on vocals and guitar. Plus you had Jonathon Andrew Roll (aka: Neidhart von Reuental) on guitar, bass and drums.
Combining folk like melodies and prog structured medieval sounding grandeur over a black metal backdrop with rasped vocals. Soft acoustic pieces are interspersed between the metal cuts to give it an almost conceptual feel. Back in 2011 I said this is the type of stuff you would play in a castle if you could afford to own one. It's still true today.
(Original cover artwork from 2011)
I always thought that this was the type of sound Varg Vikernes was touching upon before his incarceration. And yet two guys from Minnesota pulled it off later on. Songs like "Atonement" and "Arrows" are fully draped in black metal but without the hornet's nest tremolo picked sound. The rhythms range from mid paced to speedy riffs combining the essence of black metal with that medieval structure.
The result is this haunting atmosphere that's chilling yet elegant in a classical meets pagan sense. "Cabin Lights" and opener "Altars of Moss" are majestic to the point of standing in awe of what this duo accomplished. As of now Tanner Anderson is still keeping the project going while Jonathon Andrew Roll left after it's release. With that said Suspended in the Brume of Eos is a gem you can get a second chance at.
https://www.20buckspin.com/
https://listen.20buckspin.com/album/suspended-in-the-brume-of-eos
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