Albums

Album Review : NE OBLIVISCARIS : Exul

Posted on 20th March 2023

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Xenoyr (growler) came up with the title Exul for NE OBLIVISCARIS’ 4th masterpiece album. He explained that it epitomized people’s sentiments about the pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine, and that each person has their own story about banishment.

Xen explains lyrics as they, “involve some form of unwanted departure — all journeys into torment, passion, longing and even despair. They touch on the process of physical and psychological destruction that comes from that sense or reality of being exiled, whether forced from one’s land, ostracised from a community, shunned by a religion, or even simply being treated differently for being who they are.” I think most of us can relate to that.

Add one violin, which is the backbone of classical music and the leading instrument of emotion. Sustain and build the tension with a synchronized guitar pairing.

Further mix in Martino Garattoni’s noticeably intricate bass, a vocal growler that sounds more like an instrument in and of itself, and a ‘clean’ vocalist that sounds more like a contemporary trained vocalist, an emphatic rhythmed drum, and viola! Ne Obliviscaris Exul is comparable to a Les Demoiselles d’Avignon – Pablo Picasso which hangs unobtrusively in The Museum of Modern Art in NYC. That’s how good it is.

It was a push-pull in deciphering if the type of sub-genre metal is ‘melodic’ black metal or ‘symphonic’ black metal; and I leaned towards the latter; simply because of the use of a symphonic instrument – the violin, which emits dark, rich tones that can exude tears, yes, even in metal music.

Tim Charles’ use of the violin and vocal cords create a foundation for which to build upon in Exul. Each member, although very different, comes together to create something phenomenally remarkable.

The songs are brilliantly arranged, multi-layered, and stretch each musician’s talent beyond boundaries. Equus (Track 1) kicks off this musical journey with combined pronounced guitars, violins, crisp vocals, growls, bass chords, blended backing vocals, and cello. A musical instrumental salad. The Equus video was released in Dec ’22.

There are two tracks that are quite impressive: Misericorde I – As the Flesh Falls (Track 2) and Misericorde II – Anatomy of Quiescence (Track 3). This is 17 minutes of pure metal euphoria.

These two songs could be Ne Obliviscaris’ resume for 20 years’ experience, as they showcase the member’s individual strengths and manifests how they work together to create something beautifully masterful and memorable.