OBSEQUIAE - The Palms Of Sorrowed Kings review

OBSEQUIAE - The Palms Of Sorrowed Kings

20 Buck Spin






Years ago you had these hipsters saying black metal needs to progress in order to be taken seriously. Then they touted bands who were merely taking modern day sounds (ie: post punk, shoegaze, industrial/electronica or prog rock) and adding some blast beats and harsh vocals. Yeah it all sucked but then again that's what you would expect from a non metal affiliated person. 


The black metal genre never needed to leave the template in order to find new avenues for influences. It already had a few hundred years of past musical inspiration to meld with. So when I first got into OBSEQUIAE back in 2011 with their debut, Suspended in the Brume of Eos, I was an instant fan. The incorporation of pagan folk medieval sounds into black metal was genius. Of course it was also something Varg Vikernes tried to do but, because of his circumstances at the time, failed. At least WINDIR had some better success at it but not as good as this.


This is OBSEQUIAE third full length and since following this band over the years I can say they haven't lost sight of their blackened medieval beginnings. In fact they've elevated their sound to the level of epic grandeur. The formula provided is still the same. You have organic folk instrumental pieces interspersed between medieval influenced melodic black metal. It all makes for an amazing listening experience. I've been saying for decades now that black metal can be exquisite and beautiful. And here it is.


As always multi-instrumentalist Tanner Anderson takes charge of the vocals and the basic stringed instruments (aka: guitar and bass). Then you have the add on instruments like the hurdy gurdy, the Hammered dulcimer (a percussion-stringed instrument) then the Bowed psaltery (a plucked or bow played instrument) and the mizhar drum, plus the zill (finger cymbals). He also employs a few guests on vocals and guitar. 


Also on this release he's accompanied by Eoghan McCloskey on drums. The man's timing and precision work so well with music. Finally the specialist on Medieval harp, Vicente La Camera Marino, returns. Yes he was on the last album and his work on here is more inclusive than before. With all of that said, The Palms Of Sorrowed Kings is a melodic black metal masterpiece.
  

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OBSEQUIAE - Suspended in the Brume of Eos reissue review

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