Review Summary: Metal so good it must have come from outer space. From this day forward you will listen to this absolute gem of an album.
Something about Obliveon really stands out in a fantastic way. It’s almost as if the obscure technical thrash/death band came straight from another planet. Although they are a thrash band, they are certainly progressive and have a highly original sound. They are very similar to Death and Atheist at times, even though they often lean more towards a thrash sound. I’m not sure why they aren’t more famous because they are true masters of their craft and their 1990 debut
From This Day Forward is a brilliant album in just about every way imaginable.
A prime example of the band’s hidden talent is found in the sublime instrumental track ‘Access to the Acropolis’. Judging by the album cover, the band wanted to incorporate outer space into their sound, and they surely succeed on the out of this world instrumental. It starts with beautiful spacey guitar notes, but once the drums kick into full force the song becomes unstoppable. The drums are highly technical and almost indescribable at times. The guitars are no different and sound very reminiscent of Atheist sometimes and there is definitely some Jazz influence to be heard. As impressive as the instrumental track is, the vocalist is also one of the band’s greatest strengths. He sounds great on songs like ‘Imminent Regenerator’ and the title track, as he lets out some of his harshest vocals. He may not have the most aggressive growls, but his vocals don’t sound forced and just fit naturally with the music.
Obliveon are so good at what they do that most of these songs could stand on their own without the vocalist. Although some songs sound similar, the technical drumming and proficient guitars are so over the top that there’s hardly a dull moment. Any fans of technical thrash or death metal in the vein of Atheist or Death will find a lot of enjoyment listening to Obliveon’s debut
From This Day Forward. It may not be the most impressive album I’ve heard in the genre, but it’s pretty damn close.
