Review: “As We All Will” by Obsidian Mantra

Celebrating a decade of destruction Polish Progressive Death Metal trio Obsidian Mantra return with a new album “As We All Will” from a rejuvenated line up. Four years after 2020 album “Minds Led Astray“, long time drummer Mateusz Witan has switched to guitars with the band recruiting Mateusz Wróbel (Deathspawn, Egzekutor, Faust) in 2022. The pair stand alongside bassist and vocalist Kacper Kajzderski for their debut recording in those roles on a record mixed and mastered by Filip Hałucha (Shadohm, Redemptor, Behemoth). Continuing their journey down the left hand path towards inevitable self immolation, lyrically they confront existential realities of human existence. Exploring the inevitability of suffering, the universality of fear and weakness, and the necessity of facing the vast, indifferent universe as an individual and overcoming oneself…

In the past Obsidian Mantra have been known for their groove orientated Death Metal blend but with “As We All Will” there is a distinctive evolution in sound as the trio explore darker territory. Blast beats emerge from underneath crushing riffs as “What Is Not, Is Not” takes hold like the gravitational pull of a black hole, dense chugging rhythmic guitar battery as deadly as the pulverising percussion from Wróbel who impresses from the very start both technically and creatively as a driving force behind the sonic abrasions. Lead single “Cult of Depression” is an obvious choice, standing out with more turbulently violent energy after the dark and sinister opening cut. Treading the path that Gods fear to the trio impose themselves in a style similar to Irish Psychological Death Metal act Strangle Wire, while creating toxically oppressing atmospherics with hints at an influence from Black Metal. Punchy and aggressive, this brute of a track proves that the band are not only still the force to be reckoned with that they were when they first arrived on the scene in 2014 but have gained knowledge and wisdom during their years of toil in the rehearsal space.

Mercilessly “Slave Without a Master” cleaves flesh from bone with its searing main riff as razor sharp as they come, the rumbling bass and powerhouse percussion a savage beating. Vocally Kajzderski’s throat splitting bark is reminiscent of Max Cavalera in the early Sepultura days without the Brazilian accenting, giving some of these cuts an instant appeal. His bellow is clean enough that you can understand the lyrical narrative while being gravelly enough to entice you to listen to more. A little tapping lead on this one adds a sense of tension that you can cut with a knife. Previous records relied solely on simple yet extremely effective grooves and while that hasn’t been abandoned it has clearly been a foundation built upon. The murderous intent in the atmosphere of “Who Will Become a Murderer” is a bloodlust that you can not deny. Neck snapping moments of technical riffage and a death growl or two add that additive quality and you know you’ll be returning this one before too long.

Collapsing the mountain once more, the jack hammer footwork and churning sea beast of a main riff give “Condemned to Oppression” some serious power as the morbid and miserable lyrics sink into the cranium courtesy of Kajzderski. As a frontman he has the kind of presence that you want to mimic, gurning or raising your horns as he reaches for yet more bowel clenching guttural lows. The avoidance of catchy choruses in favour of keeping things old school and brutal is refreshing. Rich and dark without being overly complex, the density of these tracks is endures throughout the album, ensuring that the cliché all killer, no filler can be rolled out like a blood stained red carpet to welcome the band home. Maintaining the flow with eerie twist in the riff department “Chaos Will Consume Us All” has what you might call a melodic break in it but really, it’s just the fleeting moment in which the knife rises before the serial killer strikes. Another lethal dose of Polish Death Metal which plays out like a page turning Stephen King novel reads, this one hits harder than concrete slab to the face.

The nuanced riffing is equally disturbing as “Sowers of Discord” unfolds with a little bit of early Fear Factory style to it as the skull battering continues with alarming regularity. The grooves are a non stop pummelling by this point and while the band don’t try and reanimate the corpse of anything from the so called golden age of the genre, there are a few hallmark moments which are as impossible to escape as a face hugger in any of the Alien movies. By keeping the tracks between 3 and 4 minutes this creature is a lean, mean fighting machine, capable of going 12 rounds with any adversary. There is no fat to be trimmed or experimental touches that you could take or leave, the only criticism being the absence of face melting solo or two to add a little flamboyance to the endless onslaught of riffs. Grand finale “Weavers of Misery” has a little more eerie lead and a lot more blood and thunder in the drumming department, the outfit wanting to leave your ears bleeding for more [8/10]

Track Listing

1. What Is Not, Is Not
2. Cult of Depression
3. Slave Without a Master
4. Who Will Become a Murderer
5. Condemned to Oppression
6. Chaos Will Consume Us All
7. Sowers of Discord
8. Weavers of Misery

“As We All Will” by Obsidian Mantra is out 27th September 2024 though Via Nocturna and is available over at bandcamp.