Obscene - Agony and Wounds

Obscene is a death metal band from Indiana, who formed in 2017. “Agony and Wounds” is their third full-length Album; they have also released an EP.

“Agony and Wounds” is an album that doesn’t try to hide it’s influences or pretend it is anything other than straight up death metal.   There is a certain charm to knowing who and what you are—I like that kind of confidence.  And in today’s scene, sub genres get blurred very often and, while there isn’t anything wrong with that, it is ironically refreshing at times when a band doesn’t want to sound, well, refreshing.  Give me old school death metal any time of the day, any where.  

The production is solid–it’s loud and boisterous but every instrument can be heard with clarity; every brutal note hits hard, fast, and is razor sharp.  Every performance sounds meaty—this is a very robust, full sounding album.

Overall, the album is a nonstop banger.  While there are moments of slow to mid paced tempos and melodic flourishes here and there, the album is constantly full-speed ahead.  It is a very fast paced album and the 41 minute runtime will quickly pass.  

Speaking of melody, the band injects it when need be but it isn’t their focus…which it makes it all the more important when it does show up.  The opening song, “The Cloverland Panopticon,” opens with about 40 seconds of melodic guitar before the audio assaulting begins.  The tempo is pulled back ever briefly around the 1:40 mark, letting the strong guitar tones sink in for maximum effect.  These little details make the songs all the better, as every tight construction needs something to keep it from falling apart.

“Breathe The Decay,” is one of my favorite songs on the album and a fine example of what the album is going for.  It thrashes and rages with a fervor that would make even the most cynical metalhead blush.  The rip roaring riffs and hectic rhythm prowess is blanketed by slower tempos and more dynamic riffs that introduce a little melody.  Again these parts are few and far between but they hold it all together.

None of the songs are very long—-the band is more than content to drop their bombs and fly off, leaving behind wreckage rather than a lingering sense of dread.  “Death’s Denial” is the shortest song on the album and it leaves no time for the band to do anything but create said wreckage.  Tight drums, zeroed in riffs, depraved vocals, and rumbling bass offer a blistering focus.

The album stays pretty consistent all the way through, with the later half offering plenty of its own visceral numbers.  “The Reaper’s Blessing,” is so fast the vocals push through like hurricane winds moving down a narrow passage: concentrated, almost palpable.  Impressively, the speed is somehow doubled around the 1:28 mark.  I jammed this song with a decent pair of headphones and it felt like the music was going to push out of the front of my head. 

“Dressed In Corpses,” is surprisingly catchy, especially the cadence/rhythm of the vocals. The guitars grow more ominous as the song moves along, becoming extra powerful after the mid section where it slows down then speeds up, creating a whip last effect that is quite potent.

The title track finishes the album, with another melodic intro but this time in the form of clean piano.  It isn’t there for long but it’s a nice touch, especially how it mixes in with the death metal portions.  This is the only song that doesn’t really kick up the tempo all that much but I actually like that and it reveals how good this band would be at putting out a whole album of death/doom.  

All in all, Obscene’s “Agony and Wounds,” may not be anything flashy or groundbreaking but it also isn’t trying to be those things.  For what it is, the album is a satisfying trip through the fields of desolation and devastation.