OBLOMOV

"Mighty Cosmic Dances" by the Czech Republic's OBLOMOV is an album that fans of boundary pushing black and death metal should know about. With a conceptual inspiration drawn from the likes of Isaac Asimov, Robert Silverberg, and Thomas S. Kuhn (i.e., the scientific revolution),OBLOMOV creates a classy, yet scalding mix of black and death metal that should satisfy those seeking aural violence, as well as those with a hankering for experimentation.

The stylistic mix is rather eclectic, but not confusingly so. This is not pointless meandering. "Intro" and "Outro" are the only truly "spacey" tracks on the album and serve merely to open and close the proceedings. Raspy, mid-range black metal vocals, punctuated with death growls ride over top arrangements that will please musicians and extreme music fans alike. Tossing out names like DISSECTION and (to some extent) EPHEL DUATH, as Deepsend does with pride, is not as far-fetched as one might think. Uniqueness is a trait shared by all three bands, the common denominator metal that rips and stimulates. Avant-garde is the choice description, as the startling, yet somehow fitting, use of saxophone parts on "Lost Between Emotions" and "Starsend" demonstrate, not to mention the folky organ sections on the former and the tasteful use of choral backing vocals on the latter. The light use of keyboards accents, rather than stifles, the compositions, such as on the raging "Mentality Failure". Adventurous bass playing, melodic chords, a semi-galloping tempo, and the captivating guitar interplay on "Redefinition of the Past" is but one example of the manner in which the band combines an undeniable heaviness with a strain of elegance. There is so much going on here, yet one never feels overwhelmed.

In simplest terms, "Might Cosmic Dances" is one cool black/death metal album. The balance struck between experimentation and traditional brutality is damn hard to pull off, but OBLOMOV hits the mark time after time. Check this one out soon.