Author: Primož Novak
Photos: Sebastijan Videc
Location: Orto Bar, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Concert date: 31.10.2016
Attendance: 250
Ticket price: 22€/25€
It’s been a good while since Slovenia last got a package of technical and progressive death metal bands. So when it was announced that Germany’s Obscura were coming back, expectations were definitely high. This time Obscura brought along America’s Revocation, Canada’s Beyond Creation and America’s Rivers of Nihil. Fans of modern extreme metal were, quite rightly, licking their chops. These are bands that stand out big time in the extreme scene. And even though bands like this, with all their complexity and weirdness, don’t exactly draw huge crowds, a pretty decent number of people gathered before the show. Still, plenty of folks there probably figured the crowd had come to party at Glamoween rather than for bands that don’t put hooky choruses and simple rhythms front and center.
At 7:30 PM the guessing was over. America’s Rivers of Nihil took the stage, and quite a few people had already packed in front of it, so the band didn’t play to a half-empty room, as is usually the fate of opening acts. Kind of logical, too: Rivers of Nihil didn’t exactly blow anyone away with their debut The Conscious Seed of Light, but with Monarchy (review HERE) the story took a serious turn. The quality of the record was obviously good enough to grab attention. The band hit hard with a powerful technical album full of darkness and brutality, and it was the songs from Monarchy that took center stage. What sets them apart is an approach that departs from the many technical death metal bands that push neoclassical guitars up front. Rivers of Nihil take more of their cues from Poland’s Decapitated, Sweden’s Spawn of Possession and even the odd old-school outfit. The quality showed live, too. You can’t say a thing about how tight they were. The sound was nicely dirty, which really underlined the atmosphere of their music. A slip or two crept in, but with a short set the band impressed and showed their potential.
Canada’s Beyond Creation have two albums under their belt so far. Their first record, The Aura, already won them the attention of today’s progressive death metal fans. With the second one, Earthborn Evolution (review HERE), they proved they won’t be a one-album wonder. With their unique approach they quickly showed this isn’t just another band rehashing Necrophagist. Far from it. First off, it has to be said that this crazy quartet comes from Montreal (Canada). That corner of Canada has given the metal scene some of the most extreme acts in history, and Beyond Creation are no exception. They’re a warning that the Canadians will always be at the top. With two albums, Beyond Creation have shown incredible technical perfection, a progressive mindset, unconventionality, virtuosity and limitlessness. Live, they proved with the very first song, Omnipresent Perception, that they’re not just good on record. In a good half hour, the Canadian quartet showed what tight playing really means. And even though Beyond Creation’s music is packed with soloing, blast beats, a furious rhythm section, an unbelievably standout bass guitar, and growled and screamed vocals from both guitarists, with arpeggios raining down on top for fun, none of it fazed them one bit. With the odd ambient interlude and a touch of jazz fusion, they showed off their versatility too. With their surgically precise playing, Beyond Creation undoubtedly impressed, and for some they were even the highlight of the night. The old guard says progressive death metal has hit all its limits. Beyond Creation are excellent proof that the limits can be pushed even further. Given the great response, here’s hoping that next time, once they have another album, Beyond Creation will play even more.
Revocation visited Slovenia for the third time on this tour, so a more than solid response was expected. The band put the current album Great Is Our Sin (review HERE) front and center in their set, with which they’re trying to prove that they, too, want to push the boundaries forward. So besides the thrash and death metal tracks, the album also features a more progressive song here and there, like Crumbling Imperium, which they played as well. But the faster songs naturally got the better reaction. A staple, Dismantle the Dictator, got some people moving. There was nothing to complain about in the playing. The band is tight, and the new drummer Ash Pearson, who replaced longtime sticksman Phil Dubois, plays confidently and precisely. The bassist was a bit in the background, while the guitar duo of Dave Davidson and Dan Garguilo stood out, serving up powerful riffs and soloing. Some of them being buried in the mix was also down to the smaller stage and Obscura’s huge drum kit, which took up a serious chunk of it. Luckily, that didn’t bother any of the support acts. Revocation said goodbye with Witch Trials from the previous album Deathless. Of course, a favorite or two was missing, but given the great response, Revocation will play a longer set next time.
That left only Obscura, who drew a serious crowd at this year’s Metaldays. But there were no tourists or curious onlookers here who went to see the band just because there was nothing better to do. The crowd paid for a ticket for just four bands that are pretty specialized in the metal genre. Surprisingly, Orto Bar’s hall was packed to the brim, and Obscura served up fresh material from their current album Akróasis (review HERE). Obscura started out pretty modestly; the story turned around in 2009, even though musically they sounded a lot like Necrophagist, and they didn’t get any big reaction. All that persistence has obviously paid off in the end. The band’s popularity is at a good level. Obscura showed up with a revamped lineup and made it known that nothing can stop them. The songs were played correctly, at times the whole thing felt a bit sterile, but there were no slip-ups to speak of. Every member showed up in the best light. Frontman Steffen Kummerer has definitely improved when it comes to talking to the crowd, and he got plenty of people moving. Bassist Linus Klausenitzer served up his lines the whole time and enriched the soundscape. New guitarist Rafael Trujillo stepped nicely into the shoes of Professor Christian Muenzner, so there were no mistakes to be heard during the demanding virtuoso solos. Last but not least, drummer Sebastian Lanser was convincing too. He also plays in the jazz metal outfit Panzerballett, yet even the faster stuff gave him no trouble. The set focused mainly on the latest album, there were a few songs from the groundbreaking Cosmogenesis, while from Omnivium there was just one, but given the intensity of their performance, they could hardly have squeezed in another one. In about an hour, Obscura impressed. The crowd gave them a warm reception and let them know they’re on the right track and always welcome back.
Obscura, Revocation, Beyond Creation and Rivers of Nihil proved with their outstanding playing in a packed Orto Bar that technical and progressive death metal is still full of surprises and innovation.
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