As a huge fan of black metal in general, I was thrilled with excite to find that I was chosen to make a review of the newest album from Enthroned. My interest in the Belgian band has been quite grand from the day that I found my interest in black metal.  Their part of the black metal scene has been quite constant since their first split was released in 1994 (Scared by Darkwinds / Longing for the Ancient Kingdom II), just one year after the band itself was established. Sadly, they have not yet been a huge topic of discussion in the metal scene. I wonder if it is due to their lack of promotionskills, or if their sound is just generic and medieocre and doesn’t reach that big of a target audience. The only thing I have heard to be discussed about Enthroned, is whether Nornagest (lead singer) starred in the first black metal pornomovie, Phallusifer or not. Despite all of this, they have toured with some huge names in the European black metal scene, for instance Gorgoroth, Destroyer 666 and Shining.
 
Obsidium is an album that starts with a choral intro. As I listened to the first track on the album, “Sepulchred Within Opaque Slumber”, I suddenly realized what I was dealing with… An album that brings your thoughts back to old school black metal, with a sound so gruesome and raw, that you feel like hiking in the mountains of Norway, burning churches and slaying goats. The sound of the album is very original, but sadly not very innovative. The amazing thing about the black metal genre is that is it does not need to develop, because the genre is more about the chaotic guitar riffs, the punk inspired drumwork and the shrieking vocals. Enthroned fulfill these requirements on the Obsidium album very well.

The coverart is made by Blackout Multimedia, a very unknown but yet astonishingly creative company. The cover is extremely dark and obscure, showing a darkened silhouette standing with a hole in his chest. The silhouette is displayed with the third eye, which is a symbol of omniscience. The coverart suits the music on the album very well. The music has a mysterious touch, which cooperates surprisingly well with the obscure and evil sound. Each and every song on the album flows well from one to another. Some of the tracks on Obsidium, for instance “Deathmoor” contains smaller passages where the music turns the pace down, so Nornagest can burst into battlecries with a very noble voice. This helps a lot to the very bellicose feeling, which is incorporated throughout the whole CD. The album is very well-produced, but it is not too polished - as said, the sound is still raw and brutal.

The tempo of Obsidium is at a very fast pace. One can only imagine the massive amounts of beats per minute, as you listen to tracks such as “Petraolevm Salvia” and “Horns Aflame”. It would be an understatement to say, that if you want something with a laid back feel and slow pace, you should not buy Obsidium. However, if you are a fan of Watain, Ondskapt, Tsjuder, Marduk and Behexen, then this album is a must have in your grimm and frostbitten record collection. Obsidium is a very easy-digestible album, which is very enjoyable if you are a fan of second-wave, old school, neck breaking, church-burning black metal.

www.enthroned.be