When you think of Spain what initially comes to mind?You probably circle aroundbull fights, Picasso, Real Madrid football team,olive oil, sunshine, siestas, and now you should definitely add independent Spanishpost-metal quintetObsidian Kingdomto that list. For the most part, what you read on a press release you have totake with a pinch of salt, but when these guys boldly refer to their debutalbum'Mantiis' as"a conceptual rock opera that flows through different genres"they are right on the money. In fact, this is actually an understatement and Ican’t explain it any better thanObsidianKingdom do themselves when they say"'Mantis'embarks the listener in aneerie musical trip, noted for the coherent exploration of a wide range ofstyles and emotions."
The beauty of'Mantiis' thereforemeans fundamentally, it is one singular song that tells its gripping talethrough 47 minutes and 14 genre-fusing tracks. While it's not exactly a rarityto see musicians audaciously merging genres together, sometimes the outcomeends up lacking innovation, flow and structure.'Mantiis' is the antithesis ofthis. It's precise, creative, evolved and extraordinary in its own right.Tracks to look out for: the album opener'Not Yet Five', a sombre and surreal,dark, dream-like track that dronesinstrumentation into your earholes, broken at what seems irregular intervals byan ear-piercing, wincing, screw-your-face-up-and-scrunch-your-shoulders static,that hits every nerve with aMarmite intensity that you’ll either love or hate(perhaps they based it on the views of current Real Madrid player Ronaldo).
'Oncoming Dark' – think surprisingly lovely acoustic guitar strums,layered with Opeth vocals and harmonies plus Porcupine Tree style progressiverock beats in the background. The track escalates towards the end filling yourmind with the clash of cymbals, frantic electric guitar, and a strong sense ofpercussion that flows straight into the next instrumental ridden track,'Throughthe Glass', without pause for thought.If you want to know what it sounds like when anangry giant is being chased by a stampede ofbulls, check out'Cinammon Balls',it has every aspect of death/dark metal from the growling vocals to thedistorted breakdown of heavy guitar riffs and blast-beat drumming to the varyingtempo that leaves your mind feeling used and abused!
For mellower tracks, checkout'The Nurse'.It begins with an abstract array of eerie, whiny tone that is overlayered by a constant, beautiful piano melody that liquidates the soul like anoverdose of olive oil. This is the shortest track on the album but this doesn'ttake away its brilliance. This runs over to the next track 'Answers Revealing' with a skip in itsstep and a completely classical little moment until the rather enjoyable vocalssneak in with lyrics such as“faaaade awwaaaayyy”. Trust me, you won’t forgetthis song in a while.Go to'Last Of The Light' for a daily dose ofsunshine throughjazz, have a siesta to'Genteel to Mention' and, like an attack from the Spanish Armada,Obsidian Kingdomend'Mantiis'with a bang in the closing song'And Then ItIs'. If you care to say"hola" to this album, (I recommend that you do) beprepared for every single one of your emotions to be fondled with, with afierceness and a precision that when it comes down to good musicians, you just can't put a price on.
Obsidian Kingdom's website
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