Obolus - Lament

Obolus has been making a bit of a stir lately in the Black Metal underground. Their demo from last year was well received and their label The Flenser has decided to get the word out on the band as broadly as possible by releasing "Lament" as a free download on Bandcamp until the album releases officially. This is an interesting way to promote sales and I am curious to see if it will work or if fans will be cheapasses and just download the album.

Now onto the music itself: "Lament" starts off with the appropriately titled "Desolation".
You hear the sounds of rain falling before going into full tilt atmospheric Black Metal. The album then segues into the quiet "Reflection" before picking the pace up again with "Hatred". The album's longest song "Grievance" is next, followed by the mellow title track, and album closer "Lament".

The album is extremely atmospheric giving cold and harsh vibes while at the same time hypnotizing the listener with beauty. Vocals on this album are almost an afterthought as they are so buried in the mix at times that they are not even noticeable, this works however and does not detract from the album in the slightest.

As the album is an EP and the music is so mesmerizing, it seems to go by in a moment. The band really needs to make a full-length album and soon! Check the album out at: http://theflenser.bandcamp.com/album/lament while you still can and pick up a physical copy as soon as it's released! (8.5/10)

Curt

Label info: www.theflenser.com