OBSIDIAN TONGUE Kicks Off U.S. Co-Headliner w/ WOE

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Obsidian Tongue – Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn Review

By Twelve

I felt a brief surge of excitement when I saw we had received the new Obsidian Tongue album to review in late April. Maybe I subconsciously remember Carcharodon‘s positive review of the aptly-titled Volume III, or maybe I was just in a black metal mood at the time, but I made note of the discovery either way. I was sure the aforementioned shark-man would be writing these words instead of me, but life is funny sometimes, and here I am. Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn is the fourth full-length release from the US-based black metal outfit. Previously, they’ve explored ambient, folky, and darkened themes; more recently, I came across two members reviewing the latest Namebearer. With so many possible directions and themes to explore, where do Obsidian Tongue land with this one?

Your first impression of Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn may well match mine—that of a modern black metal outfit trying to evoke a raw, dated sound1 through fuzzy production and standard genre tropes. I’m not convinced this impression is wrong, but it’s hardly the full story either; Obsidian Tongue are thoughtful composers and have plenty of tricks up their sleeves to keep Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn engaging across its forty minutes. Guitarist Brendan Hayter (also the vocalist) (Thrawsunblat, Namebearer, Blood Chariot) riffs, tremolos, and picks his way through a surprising variety of black metal compositions (given the record only has six of them), from the mystical journey of “To Forgive Oneself” to “Orphaned Spiritual Warrior,” which barrels and pummels its way out of any objections. Joined by bassist Brian Tenison (also of Namebearer and Blood Chariot) and drummer Raymond Capizzo (Falls of Rauros), Obsidian Tongue demonstrates itself as multifaceted as ever across Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn.

So it is perhaps unsurprising that there’s an emotional core to the music that supersedes style or production choice. I certainly wouldn’t have expected a song called “Snakeskin Tunnel Colony” to win any awards for catharsis, but there it goes, weaving in triumphant keys in unexpected places and making extremely endearing emotional appeals. Closer “Theater of Smoke & Wind” goes all-out with passages of ominous build that erupt into a black metal frenzy before taking a step back to let the keys end proceedings on an emotional, almost orchestral finish. It’s a far cry from Obsidian Tongue’s folky, atmoblack origins, but you can see the intended evolution for their sound. Hayter’s rasps are occasionally augmented by his cleans, his wistful baritones a perfect companion for the most woeful moments on Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn.2 In all, Obsidian Tongue have a lot going for them; there are so many aspects to their sound that set up their music for success.

Still—and I do hate to say it—I keep coming up to the production; the ever-present fuzz of the guitars and distance on the drums gives Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn a vague, detached quality that may have served Obsidian Tongue better on past releases than the present one. It’s a good deal more immediate than Volume III, but still feels like it has one foot in the atmospheric world. From a songwriting perspective, however, Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn feels mismatched from this choice. The music’s lessened immediacy, partially due to this, makes most of the music non-memorable for me. I hear it, I enjoy it in the moment, I can even pick out my favorite songs and tell you why I like them,3 but I struggle to remember specific moments beyond their motifs. Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn leaves no doubt that Hayter and Obsidian Tongue are great at what they do, but they feel held back on this particular release.

Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn is another strong entry into Obsidian Tongue’s rapidly growing catalogue. It continues their trajectory onto a harder, darker path and I’ve very much enjoyed the result. I can’t quite help the feeling that the execution and vision aren’t quite aligned, but that could easily be just me—the core of Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn is fine black metal that lives up to the awesome album’s name and is worth the visit.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed:
Label: Profound Lore Records
Websites: obsidiantongue.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Obsidian-Tongue
Releases Worldwide: May 30th, 2025

#2025 #30 #AmericanMetal #BlackMetal #BloodChariot #EclipsingWorldsOfScorn #FallsOfRauros #May25 #Namebearer #ObsidianTongue #ProfoundLoreRecords #Review #Reviews #Thrawsunblat

OBSIDIAN TONGUE (Estats Units) presenta nou àlbum: "Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn" #ObsidianTongue #AtmosphericBlackMetal #Maig2025 #EstatsUnits #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

New post: Album Review: Obsidian Tongue – Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn https://www.moshville.co.uk/reviews/album-review/2025/05/__trashed-2/ #ObsidianTongue

Namebearer – Industries of the Fading Sun Review

By Twelve

I’ve a sneaking suspicion that the apocalypse isn’t actually as metal as everyone thinks it is. Can’t explain it, won’t elaborate—that’s just my gut feeling. Despite this, I can’t quite pass up a promo that promises “hazy visions of an apocalyptic world,” as Industries of the Fading Sun does. This album, a purported work of atmospheric black metal from US-based Namebearer, is their debut release and contains all the promise and potential a debut can have within it. How does it stand up to the mighty visions it aims to evoke?

The first thing to notice about Industries of the Fading Sun—the thing that stands out immediately upon pressing play—is the stifling, lo-fi production punch dominating the low end of the record. There’s plenty more to notice as the title track lurches to life, but that fuzzy, thick aura of black metal days gone by that aims right for your throat from second one is the dominating factor. Throughout the song, and indeed the album, this hazy, atmospheric, almost psychedelic quality allows it to blend multiple styles under a roughly black metal umbrella—synths and drawn out guitar leads evoke melodic ideas while the heavy backdrop of riffs give it the promised raw, atmoblack quality. Brian Tenison’s (Eave, Obsidian Tongue) vocals are raspy and vicious, while Brendan Hayter’s (Thrawsunblat, Obsidian Tongue) are clean and straightforward.1 The Blut Aus Nord/Wolves in the Throne Room inspiration is apparent, but put together, Namebearer boasts a sound very much its own.

That’s a win for Industries of the Fading Sun, but you might see it as a drawback too. On an album just barely inching past what we’d call an EP ’round these parts—it doesn’t quite reach the half hour mark—there is a lot going on. “Lumivyöry” is a good example, opening with a sense of urgency—wry tremolos and anguished screaming guide the song through to its halfway mark, where it takes a turn for the dramatic—low, short riffs, clean intoning, narration. From there, a synth lead carries the rest of the song to its end. It’s almost progressive in how unpredictable it is, but it does work, and “Lumivyöry” stands as one of the strongest songs here. On the other hand, it can make it difficult to distinguish individual songs; at first, Industries of the Fading Sun felt more like a long, single song than a collection befitting an album, owing to its comparatively short runtime and the consistency with which its structures, ideas, and paces change.

Ultimately, this disjointed sense of style is the most significant thing that holds Industries of the Fading Sun back. “Black Vein, Atom Drum” is a good example. It’s a grim and brutal piece that rolls and grinds, where the cleanly-sung chorus is the only sense of melody afforded to the whole—which makes it feel out-of-place when you first hear it. Hayter’s synths come in and out of the spotlight sporadically, but dominate “Crystals Distill to New Earth,” ending Industries of the Fading Sun on a very different note from its opener. I’ve already mentioned the strong fuzziness on each song, and the clean singing too, but often these two choices are strongly at odds with each other. Whether through guitars, synths, or singing, most of Namebearer’s melodic impulses fight against the lo-fi, black metal base that naturally takes up most of the listener’s attention—even more strongly than the drumming, which is often swallowed up by the void, robbing the journey of immediacy. Is that an intentional choice? It could well be—Industries of the Black Sun borrows inspiration from quite a few places, but I struggle to definitely name it one thing.

Of course, that’s not a bad thing on its own, but I feel like Industries of the Fading Sun never quite comes together for Namebearer. It aims high and does a lot, but is held back by a lack of cohesion, by seeming to not quite know exactly what it is just yet. The vision is there; hopefully that means there is something stronger on the horizon. There are many promising moments across Industries of the Fading Sun. I would love to hear an album full of them, so I’ll still be keeping an eye out for what Namebearer does next.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self release
Website: namebearer.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: May 2nd, 2025

#25 #2025 #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlutAusNord #Eave #IndustriesOfTheFadingSun #May25 #Namebearer #ObsidianTongue #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #Thrawsunblat #WolvesInTheThroneRoom

OBSIDIAN TONGUE Announces Co-Headlining U.S. Tour with WOE

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