Have you ever wondered what would happen if you combined progressive metal with post-metal, metalcore, experimental, orchestral, and atmospheric elements, coupled with a little Mastadon and Deftones mixed in? Look no further than Obsidian Kingdom, a 5-piece ensemble from Barcelona, Spain currently consisting of Rider G. Omega on guitar and vocals, Ojete Mordaza II on drums, Om Rex Orale on bass, Jade Riot Cul on the keyboard, and Viral Vector Lips also on guitar. As you can see, these guys are inventive and creative by their very foundation.
Generally when listening to a new album, or even a new band, one can discern various characteristics within that will establish a specific genre or subgenre of metal as a whole. However, this concept does not always ring true. Obsidian Kingdom’s sound culls from so many different influences and genres that it’s incredibly difficult to fit them into any one specific classification of metal. Despite this, or maybe because of it, OS has enjoyed a modicum of critical acclaim and commercial success with the two EPs and three studio albums under their belt.
Their 4th studio album forthcoming, ‘Meat Machine’, can be described in many ways. A beautiful disaster? Orchestrated chaos? Perfection in perplexity? Whatever you call it, you will probably be right. This is the sort of album that will hit each listener differently and they will either love it or hate it. The songs are lofty, ethereal, and downright confusing at points. One can easily ascertain the many influences present and possibly question why they’re there.
Straight out of the gate is “The Edge” with opening vocals that immediately reminded me of Palaye Royale and the song they did for the American Satan soundtrack. But then it inexplicably seems to almost stop and restart with female vocals. The breakdown is more of what I came to think of as the orchestrated chaos mentioned earlier. Not unlike many songs on this offering, it is technically written and has a multitude of layers.
“Mr. Pan” opens with a low-toned bass synth riff that continues into an atmospheric journey that’s kind of disrupted at the two-minute mark with a repetitive chorus that makes little sense. The journey then continues with an almost two-minute instrumental opus which is ultimately disrupted again by the repetitive chorus which ends the song. The rest of the record is just beyond description. “Flesh World” commences with some orchestral elements and the return of the female vocals over a very subdued electronic background. It eventually flourishes into a full band performance. The song then goes back and forth between these two principles until an odd spoken-word sequence comes along to mess with you. The spoken-word says something about “…pumping blood into a dead body.” I stare at my phone with a furrowed brow.
“Meat Star” starts out, again, reminiscent of Mastadon but, by the end, is similar to later years of Black Sabbath before Ozzy left. “Spanker” opens with vocals similar to its predecessor and has a definite Black Sabbath vibe. But then they change it up on you and traverse into another atmospheric instrumental breakdown complete with ambient vocals. “Vogue” has sections where the vocals are raw, almost desperate in nature but, at the halfway mark, it launches into yet more electronica which is somewhat offputting if you’re not a fan of electronica. “Womb of Wire” runs over 5-minutes and is a conglomeration of influences, instruments, and time signatures which can prove to be a bit cacophonous and overwhelming. Again, at about the halfway mark, the song gets decidedly slow, the female vocals return and even utilize the dreaded autotune. Rounding out the album is “A Foe” which commences with a melancholy piano sequence and the female vocals which intertwine to portray a lady in red singing on a stage in a dark room. Solitary spotlight on her red satin dress and black evening gloves. At least that is what it conjured in my head. Maybe it will conjure something different in yours.
Overall, Obsidian Kingdom’s ‘Meat Machine’ is a quirky mash-up of epic proportions. Their songs are thoughtful and technically written. There are a plethora of elements in their work that could be compared to masters such as early Rush and the like. Obsidian Kingdom’s instrumental work is phenomenal and would benefit immensely from more solid production and mixing.