As these days thrive with fresh vegetation and foliage taking root, a new dawn breaks for Minnesota’s OBSEQUIAE, as the outfit presents its sophomore album, Aria Of Vernal Tombs, through 20 Buck Spin. Cvlt Nation has presented the one of these seasonally dedicated anthems from the expansive LP early, in the form of “Pools Of A Vernal Paradise.”
OBSEQUIAE taps into wells of inspiration from a vast array of lands and eras, their distinctive sound flourishing with as much early-1990s Scandinavian melodic black/thrash as it does classical passages of The Middle Ages. Glorious and mesmerizing facets of instrumentation from hundreds of years ago, including the extensive use of mournful but beautiful harp passages, find themselves within the disparate harshness of blackened wrath in a seamless design. The newest precursory sampling of the nearly forty-five minute, eleven-movement endeavor becomes accessible via Cvlt Nation, through a premiere of the album’s fifth track, “Pools Of A Vernal Paradise,” a prime example of these culminating factors.
OBSEQUIAE’s “Pools Of A Vernal Paradise” is now playing at THIS LOCATION.
No Clean Singing also released the LP’s two segued opening tracks, “Ay Que Por Muy Gran Fremosura” and “Autumnal Pyre” RIGHT HERE.
OBSEQUIAE‘s sparse, sorrowful harp pieces appearing throughout Aria Of Vernal Tombs provide a foundation on which to base the longer metal-based sagas that form the album’s core. Black metal, death metal, traditional heavy metal and medieval music are all weaved seamlessly together in baroque yet abrasive reverence on Aria…, resulting in a remarkably original long-player. With a wet clarity to the incandescent production that cites underrated obscurities like Sacramentum’s Far Away From The Sun and Eucharist’s A Velvet Creation, along with the early works of Varathron, Samael and Rotting Christ, the atmosphere created on Aria Of Vernal Tombs brings to 2015 what such bands strangely but sincerely captured years ago. Every sound and shimmering tone is intentional and essential to this rite of Spring. Following their 2014 vinyl issue of OBSEQUIAE‘s masterfully unique 2011 debut album, Suspended In The Brume Of Eos, 20 Buck Spin will release Aria Of Vernal Tombs on CD and through digital outlets on May 12th, and will follow with the LP version on June 9th with both physical versions delivered in gorgeous, foil stamped packages.
