Review Summary: flamenco violin pairs with relentless black metal and progressive styles featuring soaring clean vocals to create interweaving beauty and chaos.
Ne obliviscaris is an Australian prog metal band, and they are out to prove Australia's worth in the metal community along side prog-death band Be'lakor (see songs like "An Ember's Arc" and "Remnants"). However to make comparisons between the two would be completely misconstrued, as are the comparisons between Ne Obliviscaris and Opeth. The blends of blasting death and black metal with clean vocals are the only true similarities, and from there this band branches off. Ne Obliviscaris blends to perfection beauty and bleakness, with relentless black metal screeches pairing perfectly with elegant violin breaks. This is evident on the first track, "Tapestry Of The Starless Abstract", with rolling drums slamming with no signs of stopping and relentless tremolo picking.
However even with the melodious violin interlude, which serves to keep a fresh balance between power and harmony, this is easily one of their most aggressive tracks. Forget not (which is what Ne Obliviscaris translates to) takes its sweet time building up with a myriad of violins and acoustics leading up to a bursting grand finale of blasting drums and beautiful guitar work pairing with equally beautiful violin. It is after 6 minutes the cleans take the lead, which is completely devoid of any nasally horrendous prog metal vocals, but instead brimming with brightness and energy. Everything here is so musically well versed and structured its hard to believe the band could ever top this (which they disprove with their second album, citadel).
One song after the band proves why the violin ever takes the reigns on this album-on the song "And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope." The violin work is so flamboyant and graceful while retaining a certain "sauciness" (i swear to god i will never use that in a review again), so much to the point that the Sydney Conservatorium of Music decided to include this song in their curriculum, which is led by professional orchestrate Matthew Hindson. Whilst the violin is absolutely amazing all throughout, it only compliments the music. Here it takes the reigns.
The album in its entirety may not be perfection to everyone. It simply does not appeal to all-it requires patience, and all in all is hardly an aggresive record due to song lengths extending over ten minutes and plentiful violin interludes and sweet melodic vocals. However to a patient listener, or a lover of prog rock and prog metal in general, it is easily one of the most rewarding listens you will ever find.
