Obsessor – Sick Salvation (Tankcrimes Records)
It seems that practitioners of heavier music often fall victim to a sort of formalism, whether adopting too snugly to the constraints of a particular genre or deluding themselves into the belief that they exercise some sort of iconoclasm because they figured out how to mix two or three different styles. It’s all the same, really, and while there are some pretty killer bands that may not necessarily break new ground, more often than not this approach does little to help the style evolve, and even less frequently does it produce anything that just fucking kills it from start to finish. But then there’s Obsessor, who in the five minutes of Sick Salvation have put out what might be the best metal release to come out of this city this year.
Obsessor – Sick Salvation (Tankcrimes Records)
It seems that practitioners of heavier music often fall victim to a sort of formalism, whether adopting too snugly to the constraints of a particular genre or deluding themselves into the belief that they exercise some sort of iconoclasm because they figured out how to mix two or three different styles. It’s all the same, really, and while there are some pretty killer bands that may not necessarily break new ground, more often than not this approach does little to help the style evolve, and even less frequently does it produce anything that just fucking kills it from start to finish. But then there’s Obsessor, who in the five minutes of Sick Salvation have put out what might be the best metal release to come out of this city this year.
The band, brainchild of Brandon Ferrell, co-owner of Vinyl Conflict and alumnus of Wasted Time, Direct Control, Government Warning, Municipal Waste, and about a million other bands, features Ferrell playing all the instruments and providing vocals. The one-man band idea is nothing new in metal, but it’s usually favored by Scandinavians in face paint, banging out tinny paeans to Satan or burning churches. Obsessor, on the other hand, doesn’t really nestle too comfortably in any particular sub-genre of metal. There are some easily noticeable comparisons, but even these require some sort of caveat to really seem applicable – Celtic Frost, except with a concision that band could sometimes lack; Poison Idea with a darker, more metallic bent; large numbers of crossover thrash bands except without the sort of frat-boy party time vibe that so often undermined what positive qualities any of those bands might have possessed.
There’s a vicious energy running through Sick Salvation, but one that doesn’t undermine the songs’ catchiness, or the understanding that they’re actual songs, well-written and thoughtfully constructed, rather than the mere string of riffs that many bands would cobble together. My only real qualm with the album is its brevity – two songs in a hair’s breadth over five minutes. But the all killer, no filler approach is another that Obsessor has a grasp on that many comparable bands don’t. No stock riffs, pandering breakdowns, or pointless interludes in sight – only straight-for-the-throat aggression that’s reverent towards its influences without attempting to recreate them. Now all we need is for Ferrell to grow a few extra sets of arms so he can play this shit live.
