NE OBLIVISCARIS - Reviews

[Svartwerk]

http://www.femforgacs.hu/kritika/2331/Ne_Obliviscaris_Portal_of_I_2012

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I

Az ausztrál Ne Obliviscaris 2007-es, The Aurora Veil címet viselő demójával magára vonta sok, az eredeti, különleges, rendhagyó muzsikák után kutató zenehallgató figyelmét. A 3 számos, 33 perces anyag tükrében sejteni lehetett, hogy a "kengurus-koalás kvintett” komoly, meghatározó tényezője lehet a black-ben gyökerező, extrém progresszív metal színtérnek.

De a fene se gondolta volna, hogy a bemutatkozó nagylemezükre ez év május hetedikéig kell várni! Tehát nem kapkodták el a dolgot a srácok, de a Portal of I tükrében kijelenthető, hogy megérte a várakozás! A demó és a nagylemez megjelenése között eltelt idő még hosszabbnak tűnhet, ha azt is figyelembe vesszük, hogy a demón szereplő dalok felkerültek a debütáló albumra is, így a 7 nótából csak 4 nevezhető újnak. A hét szerzeményt tartalmazó opusz játékideje pedig túllépi a 70 percet, amiből könnyen kiszámolható, hogy bizony nem 3-4 perces rádióslágerekben gondolkodtak a csókák, hanem átlagosan 10 perces, összetett, monumentális eposzok hallhatók a Portal of I-on. Egyébként már a logójukra pillantva sejthető, hogy az "O” betű valószínűleg nem véletlenül van kiemelve, mert bár mint ahogy fentebb említettem black-alapú muzsikában utaznak, mégis a legnagyobb hatással az a bizonyos O-val kezdődő, svéd progresszív death horda volt rájuk.

A Tapestry of the Starless Abstract régi ismerősként indítja a lemezt, szélvész tempóval kezd, Xenoyr meggyőző károgásával adva van a blackes él, de már rögtön az elején az őrült riffelés alatt felfigyelhetünk akusztikus pengetésekre, aztán csatlakozik Tim Charles is tiszta énekdallamaival és hegedűjével. Az 5. perc tájékán van egy éteri, akusztikus gitáros/flamencós leállás. Hogy aztán újra a húrok közé csapjanak. Dalszerkezet és zenei megoldások szempontjából is rögtön adja magát az Opeth, az összes szerzeményben jellemzőek az elnyújtott gitárhangok, a tremolózás, az akkorbontások. De a hegedűszólóból kibontakozó és aztán azzal párhuzamosan elővezetett gitárszólók is mesteriek! Mindegyik zenész penge a hangszerén, Brendan bőgőjátékát imádom, a Matt Klavins-Benjamin Baret gitárduó ugyancsak nagyszerű, Daniel pedig nem csak szuperszonikus sebességgel képes püfölni a cájgot, de a finom megoldásokat, témákat is érzéssel hozza! De a legnagyobb kincs mégiscsak Tim! Dallamos/tiszta énekével is kiválóan ellenpontozza Xenoyr extrém vokalizálását, hegedűjátékával pedig egy új dimenzióba helyezi a csapatot. Nem mondom, hogy a Ne Obliviscaris feltalálta a spanyolviaszt, mert az extrém prog. metalnak már viszonylag régóta vannak olyan kiválóságai, mint az Enslaved, Borknagar, Arcturus, stb. Viszont mégis a nyilvánvaló hatások ellenére kifejezetten egyedi és előremutató az ausztrálok zenéje. A legrövidebb szerzemény, az Of the Leper Butterlies egy szemléletes példa erre: Brendan fogós basszustémával indít, jazzbe hajló megoldások vezetik be a nótát, aztán Tim "áriázik" egy csöppet, középtájt Benjamin progos gitárszólójában gyönyörködhetünk és bár sok minden történik ebben a szűk 6 percben, mégsem követhetetlen a dal!

A Forget Not első fele instrumentális, csodaszép, mondhatni kis flamenco-kamarazene. Aztán Tim emlékezetes énekdallami simogatják lelkünket. Azért a háttérben Xenoyr is teszi ám a dolgát! A gitárszóló újfent pazar, sőt a belőle kibontakozó rohamtempó lecsengéseként Brendan is megereszt egy basszusszólót.

Az And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope vérpezsdítő, latinos lüktetésével kápráztat el, 5:30 körül pedig a lemez számomra legemlékezetesebb váltását, riffelését hallhatjuk. És Brendan újabb varázslatát.
Igaz, én a komplett lemezt egy varázslatnak tartom…
A pőre, vegytiszta black metalt azt hiszem sose leszek képes megszeretni, viszont a feketefém alapú, progos, avantgárd muzsikákat a leginnovatívabb zenék között tartom számon.

A Ne Obliviscaris pedig előlépett kedvenc bandáim közép, Tim Charles meg legalább annyira „az ördög hegedűse”, mint Paganini! A Code666 Records ezúttal sem tévedett, emelem kalapom őelőttük is!

 

[Svartwerk]

http://www.metallus.it/recensioni/portal-of-i/

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 8/10

Se non vi spaventa l’ipotesi di dover affrontare oltre settanta minuti di musica, allora trovatevi il tempo sufficiente ad ascoltare ed apprezzare tutta la bellezza di “Portal Of I”, l’opera prima degli australiani Ne Obliviscaris. La band propone una splendida commistione di black metal melodico e progressive, il tutto unito a spunti musicali al di fuori del metal propriamente detto, come la musica classica e il jazz, offrendo sei gemme che bilanciano al meglio la duttile personalità dell’ensemble. Visto che il nostro lavoro ci impone di essere pignoli, potremmo dire che i nostri prendono effettivamente spunto da idee preesistenti e si avvertono dunque echi di Opeth, Agalloch, Enslaved, ma fortunatamente il six-piece di Melbourne riesce già a creare un sound caratterizzante. Oltre a questo, è necessario sottolineare come il gruppo non si soffermi sulla bontà delle mere esecuzioni tecniche, ma preferisca creare composizioni dall’estetica perfetta, che al di là dell’elevato bagaglio esecutivo, fanno vibrare le corde dell’emozione grazie a una manifesta orecchiabilità. E’ inutile soffermarsi su un episodio in particolare, ogni brano ha un proprio peso necessario ala scorrevolezza dell’album e fa registrare l’alternanza tra sofisticate parti di black metal ad ampi intarsi di violino e chitarra acustica, mentre lo screaming e la voce pulita si rincorrono senza prevalere l’una sull’altra. L’ascolto scorre senza il minimo intoppo ed è gratificante constatare come l’estetica del pezzo sia sempre prioritaria alla mera forma. Un piccolo gioiello da aggiungere alla vostra collezione.

 

[Svartwerk]

http://misantropiaextrema.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/ne-obliviscaris/

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 5/5

Depois de se estrearem em 2007 com a maqueta «The Aurora Veil», os australianos Ne Obliviscaris rapidamente se tornaram num dos mais acarinhados segredos dos fãs de metal progressivo em todo o mundo. A intensidade, melodia e uso de violino, assim como o contorno épico das longas composições, levaram muito boa gente a suspirar pelo disco de estreia da banda de Melbourne e Victoria durante uns bons anos, enquanto o grupo se debatia com problemas logísticos relacionados com a nega que o guitarrista francês Benjamin Baret teve quando tentou obter o visto para trabalhar e viver na Austrália. A espera valeu, no entanto, cada dia dos últimos cinco anos. «Portal Of I» concretiza todas as promessas de «The Aurora Veil» de forma avassaladora, demonstrando uma progressão impressionante até para uma banda com a inegável qualidade que os Ne Obliviscaris já tinham provado ter. A base da sonoridade do quinteto é uma mistura homogénea de death metal e thrash progressivo, a que o colectivo acrescenta depois metal melódico com uma queda especial para os ambientes, algumas passagens agressivas de black metal, ocasionais apontamentos de jazz ou flamenco e um violino que espalha uma aura melancólica pelas composições. O resultado final é coeso, faz sentido e constitui-se como um dos mais impressionantes e originais exercícios de metal progressivo dos últimos meses, com sete longos temas de proficiência técnica, emoções fortes e composição de luxo.

 

[Svartwerk]

http://www.imhotep.no/?did=9106062

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 6/6

Forming in 2003, the six piece extreme metal band from Australia Ne Obliviscaris (pronounced Nay Ob-li-vis-kar-is for those wondering…) appear to be one of those groups that few will understand, and yet those who do will fervently follow every musical move these musicians make. To describe their style accurately appears impossible- melodic and tender with clean vocals one moment, blasting death the next- with nuances of thrash, black, avant-garde, jazz, and flamenco parts. A full time violin player goes toe to toe in neo-classical meets Robbie Steinhardt (Kansas) form- many times taking the instrumental lead against the sonic assault steamrolling from the intense strumming, dissonance in chord sequences and hyper kinetic percussion salvos.

Most of the 6 songs on “Portal Of I” are over the 10 minute mark- so this is not the music for you if your preference lies in repetitive three chord structures and simplistic, catchy choruses. Ne Obliviscaris doesn’t beat your brain in with super complex technicality- they instead set diverse mood landscapes, allowing the listener to escape or immerse themselves within these arrangements. The dual extreme/clean vocal delivery from lyricist Xenoyr and violinist Tim Charles does not resemble the In Flames/Soilwork textbook style- the extreme brutality receives the lion’s share of the workload, and when Tim chimes in with his clean work it’s done in an introspective demeanor.

When it comes to extreme progressive death metal, most are quick to place Opeth in the list of reference points. Ne Obliviscaris do not clone Opeth- they take some of the 70’s reference points into an epic, outer world experience for your ears, but I think the flamenco and jazz edge on a song like “And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope” combined with the turn on a dime black metal riffs to progressive soloing for “Of The Leper Butterflies” makes every return engagement exhilarating, spine tingling- and beyond entertainment.

There’s a reason why Australia is gaining significant attention for its domestic output. The government grant money aids the final product, as brilliant songwriting and performances deserve an equally potent production, mixing and mastering job. Watching video of some of these songs in a live environment, this six-piece will not remain remote or obscure for long. Passionate, engaging, uplifting, risk-taking, and an album that should gain plenty of year end (and decade end) accolades- “Portal Of I” will not be the last we hear from this upper tier extreme metal act.

 

[Svartwerk]

http://www.metalreviews.com/reviews/detail.php3?id=7690

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 80/100

This is Ne Obliviscaris’s first full-album, but they are already the subject of some hubbub, owing, thankfully, not to the prettiness of their faces or the whimsy of their gimmickry, but to the distinctiveness of their musical project. It probably also helps that they share a producer with Ihsahn, Opeth and Devin Townsend, mind. Though they fit very neatly indeed into the luxuriously hay-laden stable that houses those mighty horses of modern progressive metal, they do of course have their distinguishing marks as well. In this case, it’s Tim Charles’s violin. This is a long way from bog-standard symphonic black metal, and the (bowed, rather than twanged) strings are not there to add a touch of funereal gloom, as in My Dying Bride. Instead, it gets expansive solos and critical lead lines, accentuating the sound in a way that almost seems to take a cue from someone like Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Perhaps don’t take the latter as too serious a comparison. It implies a spontaneous, jamming feel which Portal of I doesn’t really possess. For the most part (for the most part- not always, as we shall see in a moment) this is a tightly composed and carefully balanced mesh of Dissection like meloblack, clean-voiced refrains, flashy near-power metal riffing and pleasingly-wrought gentle prog-rock flourishes. Songs here are typically extremely long and progress in stages. Opener Tapestry of the Starless Abstract, for example, begins as taut blasting, before derailing into disorienting pizzicato. Later, there is a lengthy quiet interlude, before jolting back into a swinging riff accompanied by maniacal fiddle solo. Of Petrichor Weaves Black Noises really milks some interlocking melodic lead guitar lines, swooping adeptly from blackly technical barrage to swooping harmonies.

The best features are the instrumental flourishes- Ne Obliviscaris make sure to set aside long stretches for soloing, either by lead guitar or violin, and the virtuosic contributions really bring an electric flamboyance to the band’s complex sound. This multifaceted instrumentation is key to the band’s character. Daniel “Fastest Feet 2006” Prestland’s impressive kick drumming has a complex relationship with the windswept melodic rivalry of the lead guitar and violin, which seem to compete with each other to rip out the most memorable lines. This marries closely to the dual clean/harsh vocals, making for a dynamic sound that feels like it could tilt from friendly to aggressive with the slightest adjustment.

My favourite parts, though, are where there is a more relaxed, jamming feel. See for instance Of the Leper Butterflies (what?!) or Forget Not. The former, in particular, is based around a delicate confection of rippling bass guitar, and the distinctive timbre of plucked violin chords, and features a sublime lead solo. Nevertheless, there is never the sense of true spontaneity: the extreme metal intermissions on this track feel like an intrusion, not so much because of the abrasion of the sound itself, but because the sense of musicians just winging it is lost for something much more thought-through. Portal of I is detailed and studied rather than experimental and improvisatory. Overall, it is an impressive and complex record.

 

[Svartwerk]

http://www.metal.tm/review/ne_obliviscaris_portal_of_i_1362.html

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 8/10

NE OBLIVISCARIS - Du sollst nicht vergessen!
Das haben sich vor knapp einer Dekade sechs Jungs aus dem schönen Australien auf die Fahnen geschrieben. Danach ist es lange Zeit sehr ruhig um die Gruppe mit dem viel versprechenden Namen geworden. Eine Demo - "The Aurora Veil" - fand zwar durchaus Beachtung auf dem australischen Kontinent, das war's dann aber auch schon wieder für die nächsten fünf Jahre. Jetzt, fast zehn Jahre nach der Bandgründung, legt die Band endlich ihren ersten Langspieler vor und nach dem ausgiebigen Genuss von diesem, bleibt eigentlich nur eins zu sagen : Hoffentlich lässt sich die Band für das nächste Album nicht wieder so viel Zeit!

Denn das, was NE OBLIVISCARIS auf "Portal Of I" in insgesamt 72 Minuten abbrennen, ist nicht nur musikalisch absolut einzigartig und klingt frisch und unverbraucht - nein, es dürfte zudem jedem Freund von vertrackten Orgien jenseits der Zehn-Minuten-Marke die Freudentränen in das Gesicht treiben. Der Grundtonus der sieben Nummern liegt dabei zwar ganz klar im progressiven BM-Bereich, je nach Lust und Laune wildert die Band allerdings auch gerne im (Melodic) Death, Doom oder Progressive Metal. Diese metallische Vollbedienung kann auf die Dauer schnell anstrengend werden, vor allem, wenn eine Band das Risiko eingeht gleich fünf Songs jenseits der Zehn-Minuten-Marke auf ein Album zu packen. Doch auch diese Klippen umschifft das Sextett aus Down Under mit ausschweifenden, rein instrumentalen Passagen elegant. Dabei haben NE OBLIVISCARIS den großen Vorteil mit Tim Charles einen jungen David Garrett zu ihren Mitgliedern zählen zu können. Was dieser seiner Geige für Töne entlockt ist manchmal erfrischend bizarr, manchmal verträumt klassisch aber zu jeder Zeit absolut stilsicher in das metallische Korsett eingeflochten. Die Geige thront förmlich über den anderen Instrumenten und trägt so maßgeblich zu dem vollkommen eigenen Gesamtbild von "Portal Of I" bei. Wer das gerne nachvollziehen möchte, der möge auf der Homepage der Band nach "And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope" suchen - der vorab ausgekoppelten Single.
Diese rotierte bereits ein halbes Jahr vor Release im Internet und weckte manche Vorfreude, ist allerdings nicht ganz aussagekräftig für den Rest des Albums. Denn obwohl NE OBLIVISCARIS die Qualitätslatte auf keinem der restlichen Tracks unter dieser Single ansetzen, gehen sie doch wesentlich vertrackter zu Werke. Das hat nicht nur bei mir zu einiger Enttäuschung geführt, als das gesamte Album schließlich zur Verfügung stand. Gestört hat mich vor allem das Fehlen von weiteren "Hits" in der Machart der ausgekoppelten Single, sowie das weniger melodische Songwriting der restlichen Tracks. Diese Kritikpunkte haben sich allerdings mit jedem Durchlauf und dem damit wachsendem Verständnis der Klangwelt in Luft aufgelöst.

Bleibt also unterm Strich ein perfektes Album, welchem man nur ein bisschen Zeit geben muss? Leider nur mit Abstrichen. Denn abgesehen von einigen Längen, die allerdings stimmungsabhängig mal mehr, mal weniger auffallen, haben NE OBLIVISCARIS ein Manko, was auch objektiv zu Buche schlägt - Die klaren Vocals. Zwar ist das, was David Garrett Jr. stimmlich abliefert sicherlich nicht komplett verkehrt aber ausbesserungsfähig ist es allemal. Wo die gutturalen Vocals immer wieder durch Volumen und Ausdrucksstärke begeistern, verliert der klare Bruder durch eine dünne und reichlich gewöhnliche Leistung. Das schmälert grade bei den beiden letzten Songs den positiven Eindruck doch deutlich, ist allerdings in Anbetracht der großartigen Rest-Leistung ein Kritikpunkt über den man großzügig hinwegsehen sollte. (Autor: Torben K.)
Fazit:
Mit der Auskopplung von "And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope" haben NE OBLIVISCARIS die Messlatte für ihr erstes Album unglaublich hoch gelegt und damit mehr als eine kritische Stimme gefüttert, die prophezeite, dass sie diese Qualität niemals auf der vollen Distanz halten würden. Diese Zweifler dürften jetzt endgültig still sein. Natürlich hat auch "Portal of I" seine kleinen Schönheitsfehler, wie gewisse Unsauberheiten in den gesungenen Vocals aber wer sich davon abschrecken lässt, verpasst eine der besten progressiv schwarzmetallischen Veröffentlichungen dieses Jahres.

 

[Svartwerk]

http://www.jorzine.com/default.aspx?Page=Jorzinereviews&ID=348&year=2012

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 9.5/10

The world is full of wonders, or, so they say. The Metal universe is packed with strange experiments that one may encounter with or without warning and expose himself to the risks of discovery. Ne Obliviscaris, the Australian Progressive / Melodic Black Metal band delivered an amazing masterpiece to the record of Extreme Metal. The band was formed in 2003 and released a demo album in 2007 titled, "The Aurora Veil". The album managed to show what the member of this group can do and paved the road for the latest album, "Portal of I".

This show of wonder starts with the first piece, "Tapestry of the Starless Abstract". The track is loaded with Black Metal riffs that hit the listener from the first second and is closely followed by the descent into crispy vocals. After a show of a few guitar skills, the growling and clean vocals are brought in. Through the magic of mixing, the lead guitar lines enter as the vocals fade out, after the end f this extreme theme, the violins begin and kill every emotion that the listener might have, the violin is backed by clean guitar lines and the track hits the extreme button again to a speedy tempo. Just as the lyrics say, "PARADISE, PARADISE FOUND”, this track can only be described by listening to it.

"Xenoflux" is the second piece, this entire album bleeds of Black Metal aesthetics performed in a way similar to Progressive Metal. Which, alothough an extreme Metal genre to many bands, it is rarely ever played the same. The riffs on this record are more mid-paced and melodic, they give the atmosphere a darker tone to accompany Xenoyr and Tim Charles vocals. Some the overall tone and vibe of the record might not be as aggressive as many fans may have thought it would be, but this style lends itself to being performed live. Much of the music has small breaks, like seconds, that would lure people into cheering when this is being played live, only to go back into a cool riff.

Track three, "Of the Leper Butterflies" is definitely an impressive piece of work. It is a 6-minute song with more timing, rhythm, and mood changes but with less makeup. The drums and vocals are what stand out in this release, accompanied by strong, atmospheric keyboards. Guitars and bass are more timekeepers than actual elements of the music, but nonetheless add to the whole experience of this album.

Since Ne Obliviscaris was introduced to me as a Black Metal band; it was definitely surprising when the track opened with a violin – being 90 seconds of an instrumental introduction that sounded like a classical symphonic piece, complete with clean guitars. This will, however, not be the only jazz reference that one would encounter in the album, as the band will further incorporate these influences into the tracks to follow; displaying the versatility of the musicians in the band. Don't be fooled by the soothing violin as the band plunges into the Extreme Metal mode without warning, with the growls of vocals and the aggressive, razor-sharp guitar riffs. The band constantly displays their ability to go from one mode to another right from the beginning. The melodic, yet technical guitar solo with little warning moves into yet another jazzy section in the middle of the track before the song ended with a bang. That’s what happened to me while I was listening to, "Forget Not" and, "And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope".

"As Icicles Fall" is different in regards to that most of the other tracks followed classic, Extreme Metal patterns and are fast in tempo. The avant-garde aspect of this song comes from moments where progressive patterns emerge, especially in the rhythm guitars and drums, and also from the use of weird, almost retro, sound effects by the keyboards. Yet, the crispy vocals provide the sensation of a powerful Metal bane.

"Of Petrichor Weaves Black Noise" starts off with a melodic introduction but soon bursts into the riffs, with a high-pitched riff leading everything. Now, this is where you can definitely hear either two vocals or, one with a lot of range as there are two distinct voices that can be heard in the verses. This song, again, has a slower section, where a solo is played over it. This time it's a very melodic solo, and very well played. With this song, it seems that the vocals are a bit too overpowering, and sometimes seem to cover up the riffs, instead of flowing with them.

I can't find a single boring moment in this impressive, dynamic album. If there are slightly weak spots, they are few and far between. Some songs, like "And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope" are like brightly burning flames, constantly transforming and taking new shapes, which is actually quite beautiful to listen to. This is certainly not some mindless mistreatment of poor instruments, and I swear I can hear the guitars enjoying themselves at several points. In fact, just stop reading this review and order "Portal of I" right now. If you like Black or Death Metal you'll at the very least enjoy the eminence of Ne Obliviscaris.

 

[Svartwerk]

http://transmissionfailed.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/album-review-ne-obliviscaris-portal-of.html

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 4.5/5

Sometimes it just takes the right formula to bring several familiar elements together into an entirely new one. Australian band, Ne Obliviscaris manages to pull this off quite nicely this summer with their debut LP, Portal Of I. The EP that preceded it came out in 2007 -- and while 5 years is a long time for an album, Portal shows that good things come to those who wait.

When the record was released, numerous blogs and listeners compared the group to Opeth. Being a fan of the Swedish Prog-metal giants, decided to give them a listen. While the dynamics and 6/8 death-waltz sure seemed familiar, Ne Obliviscaris has a definite style of its own. Stirring violin and acoustic guitar segments alternate with walls of blistering guitar riffs and double-bass -- all while keeping the same steady, yet unrelenting drive of power, darkness, and beauty. Though the numerous passages and changes in each song, I can't help but feel whatever emotion these guys are trying to portray. When the album's opener, Tapestry of The Starless Abstract suddenly dissolves into quiet acoustic passage only to reemerge several minutes later full-force, listeners get swept away as Ne Obliviscaris opens the floodgates and immerses them in the intensity.

In terms of instrumental skill, Ne Obliviscaris is in no way shorthanded. The guitars play their parts perfectly; laying down the heaviness when appropriate, and reverting to acoustic playing in the quieter moments. The bass is audible, active, and contributes excellently as well. Then of course, is the inhumanly-fast double-bass stampede of Daniel Presland driving the whole thing. Presland is a machine on this record, maintaining ludicrous speed and precision for considerably lengthy periods of time. Despite all this speed, the drumming manages to stay varied -- with blastbeats, huge fills, and excellent use of effects-cymbals. He also manages to top it all off with tasty grooves during the slower segments that complement the other half of the band's sound nicely.

The defining element of the group's sound is of course the violinist/clean vocalist, Tim Charles. With both his voice and instrument, he manages to balance the dark aggression the rest of the band pours out, and creates the emotional contrast that forms the core of the album's theme. I love the vocal duets, and how both parts manage to overlap, yet never step on each other's toes.

However the most impressive thing about the album is that, as a whole, Portal Of I manages to rein in all of this complexity and dynamics and compose them into sensible and tasteful transitions. There are a few that don't work so seamlessly (cough Xenoflux 2 minute mark cough), but for the most part these guys pull it off spectacularly well. Track 4, Forget Not, utilizes this to the max, and is by no coincidence my favorite on the record.

(As a completely unrelated sidenote, I should make it a point to mention that this entire album oozes the kind of pretension any fan of progressive music is likely to be intimate with. With songs titles like "A Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope" and multiple 12 minute tracks, they're not pulling any punches.
Then again... anyone picking up a CD by a band named "Ne Obliviscaris" (Latin for 'lest we forget', by the way) should honestly come to expect these kinds of things.)

Anyways, I can't stop listening to this record. It's certainly a gem, and no doubt a likely contender for top album of the year in my book. Check it out if you're a fan of Opeth or if you dig metal bands that use violins/cellos.

All in all, I give Portal Of I 4.5 Ominous Latin Phrases out of 5.

 

[Svartwerk]

http://www.progmetalzone.com/2012/spotify-friday-22-ne-obliviscaris/

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I

One of the greatest aspects about modern progressive metal is just how varied it is. Isn’t it obvious by now that great musicians no longer feel the need to confine themselves to expectations of what a metal band is “supposed” to be? So many modern musicians have classical and/or jazz training along with a widely varying palette of influences from all across the musical spectrum from rock to fusion, progressive music, ethnic sounds, folk, classical, whatever! As a listener, I’ve always been a bit schizo and once created a travel playlist with John Coltrane, Stravinsky, The Beatles, Tool and Laura Nyro among others. I enjoyed the heck out of it and I know that a lot of great progressive metal bands have widely varying tastes as well.

Enter the Australian band, Ne Obliviscaris (Latin for “Do Not Forget”) and their first full-length shot across the progressive music spectrum “Portal of I” -- and what an album it is! A powerful and intense cross-breeding of the acoustic/progressive death metal hybrid style most likely initiated by Opeth and a huge array of influences from folk, classical, jazz, flamenco and western art music. The band has a very unique instrumentation – two guitars and violin along with bass, drums and both black metal and clean vocal styles. The band was formed in 2003, released an E.P. in 2007 (the highly acclaimed “The Aurora Veil”) and now, six years later we have “Portal Of I.” The song titles alone, “Tapestry of the Starless Abstract”, “And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope” and the astonishingly beautiful “Of Petrichor Weaves The Black Noise” should tell you that you’re not in for a shallow experience.

There is so much to recommend in this album but to start the band has a base of intense progressive, somewhat melancholic metal with black metal vocals but will often take it down a hundred notches to long stretches of beautiful acoustic guitar and violin sections that show how varied the band can be. The violinist, Tim Charles is fantastic and has the best use of violin in heavy music that I’ve heard since David Cross was doing his thing with King Crimson in the early-mid 70’s. Usually when a band wants to increase its intensity, it’ll turn up the volume but with Ne Obliviscaris, the violin is used for those quiet introspective moments that the band does so well as well as for some of the heaviest things they can pull off.

All of the songs are great but I have to point out the opening and closing ones in particular as they’re a good illustration of what this band is best able to do – mix the heavy and soft aspects of music so well. The 12-minute opener, “Tapestry Of The Starless Abstract” (nod to Crimson?) starts with a progressive black metal intro reminiscent of Agalloch but then about 4 ½ minutes in we find ourselves in a beautiful classical acoustic place – again contrasting the heavy with the soft but in keeping with the intense melancholy of the piece. The album closes appropriately with an absolutely breathtaking Gregorian-like vocal and violin outro on the sublime “Petrichor”. I am a bit saddened that a hint of “death” vocals will turn some off to this record, but if you can get beyond that you’re in for a wonderful ride and an album that could very well end up being the best album of 2012.

 

[Svartwerk]

http://www.metal-discovery.com/CD/cd_review_neobliviscaris_portalofi.htm

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 9/10

Apparently, Melbourne, Australia’s Ne Obliviscaris (pronounced “Nay Ob-li-vis-kar-is”) have been doing the rounds since 2006, garnering much acclaim for their “intense live shows, unique sound, and extremely talented line-up”. What they are like live (at least for us in the northern hemisphere) is yet to be determined, but after just one blast of their long-time-coming debut ‘Portal Of I’, the claims made about the band’s sound and its line-up’s musical abilities leave little room for disagreement. Subsequent (and very many, it must be said) listens reveals a band that are adept in thrash, black, death, and progressive metal. But that isn’t enough for these guys, oh no; they have to go and chuck jazz and flamenco into the already technical and complex mix to create extreme metal that is as unique as it is striking.

Opening with what at first appears to be no more than another black metal salvo, ‘Tapestry Of The Starless Abstract’ soon introduces the band’s extensive range of abilities with producer Tim Charles’s clean vocal melody countering Xenoyr’s blackened shriek. The passage that appears at around the three-minute mark featuring acoustic guitar, Brendan ‘Cygnus’ Brown’s wonderfully melodic bass-line, and Charles’s violin could easily close the piece but instead, Ne Obliviscaris take the piece further with a flamenco-inspired solo acoustic passage that, after about two minutes, gallops into and through the blackened latter half into the melodic coda. An incredibly impressive opener, its shifts in dynamics, its array of textures, and the seamless blending of styles is flawless. Suffice it to say that the remaining six tracks are as equally accomplished, not one of them feeling the strain under the weight of the array of styles and techniques and their musical depth. ‘Xenoflux’ again burns with the rage of the extreme metal aesthetic established in the opening track, the progressive element foregrounded in the extended mid-section. ‘Of The Leper Butterflies’, by far the shortest track at six minutes, foregrounds the progressive and melodic, the violin and the rhythm section providing much in the way of extraordinary decoration and support. The flamenco-tinged acoustic guitar and violin intro of ‘Forget Not’ builds into an extended instrumental that at six minutes could have easily collapsed were it not for the inspired execution, the remaining six minutes rivalling the first half in its engagement. Leaning Spain-ward, Charles’s violin leads ‘And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope’ through its folk-influenced intro, its melodies hanging in the blackened air as the track delves deeper into technically precise prog perfectly balanced with the darker elements. ‘As Icicles Fall’ and ‘Of Petrichor Weaves Black Noise’ take the band further into uncharted territories, the choral section of the latter in particular is utterly astounding, uplifting even, particularly when the violin enters and winds its way through the lavish design.

With seven songs in seventy two minutes, Ne Obliviscaris have spoiled us with remarkable musicianship and outstanding song-craft woven into elaborate, intricate structures and detailed musical passages that eschew ego-satisfaction in favour of the band’s collective goal. Music – true music that is – is made when musicians call upon and develop their individual talents to explore a vast array of musical styles that serve their musical and artistic vision. Of course, there are bands that work exceptionally well with their chosen genre confines, but, as the album title implies, such limitations would not befit ‘Portal Of I’. Having taken so long to get to the point of being released, with not one weak track and each of them bringing something new to the mix, ‘Portal Of I’ is nothing short of magnificent. When these guys make their way to the northern shores (hopefully soon), I fear the claims about their live performances may also be proven true…

 

[Svartwerk]

http://www.metal1.info/reviews/reviews.php?rev_id=5553

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 10/10

Trommelwirbel. Rasende Gitarrenwände, ich fühle mich, als würde ich in einem wahnwitzigen Tempo eine Eiswüste durchkämmen, mich durch Schneestürme und beißende Kälte kämpfen. Und dann: Lagerfeuerromantik. Gönnt mir einen Moment Ruhe, ich besinne mich, schärfe meine Sinne, nur um ein paar Sekunden später wieder in einen Klangraum der wilden Raserei gedrängt zu werden. Später: Jazziges Zwischenspiel, ruhe mich aus, trinke ein Glas. Die Flamenco-Gitarre tanzt am späten Abend noch zum unheimlich atmosphärischen Spiel der Violine, leichte Töne und doch so schwermütig. Es ist die wahrscheinlich dichteste musikalische Reise, die ich dieses Jahr angetreten habe. Und ich trete sie Tag für Tag erneut an.

Genrepuristen, aufgeschlossene Progger und all diejenigen, die auf der ständigen Suche nach dem ultimativ anderen Sound sind, haben, genau wie ich, eine gefühlte Ewigkeit auf diese Offenbarung warten müssen. Das Debut von NE OBLIVISCARIS ist dabei jede Sekunde Wartezeit wert: „Portal Of I“ ist der musikalische Wahnsinn, eine Achterbahnfahrt der Gefühle, gekleidet in ein unheimlich abwechslungsreiches und nur schwer kategorisierbares Soundgewand. Der Promozettel spricht von „Intense Progressive Extreme Metal“ und verdammt nochmal, da hat er ja so was von recht. Black Metal wird von jazzigen Einsprengseln durchbrochen, unheimlich fetter Melodic Death Metal schüttelt zu reinem Progressive Metal die Mähne, und dann werden plötzlich noch komplett stilfremde Töne wie der bereits erwähnte Flamenco angeschlagen. Black Metal und Death Metal bilden bei den Songs, die meist die 10-Minuten-Marke knacken jedoch stets die Grundlage: Tolle Growls, gekonntes Gekeife und angenehmer Klargesang, derbe Riffs (hört euch nur mal den großartigen Eröffnungsriff zu „Xenoflux“ an), ein oft durchgetretenes Gaspedal und ein hörbar technisch perfektes Können an jedem Instrument. Dazu kommt die sehr oft virtuos fiedelnde Violine, die dem ganzen einen noch individuelleren Touch verpasst. Was Tim Charles auf seinem Instrument zaubert ist der reine Wahnsinn, „And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope“ ist da das beste Beispiel – anhören und im musikalischen Zauber versinken, die Atmosphäre spüren und aufsaugen, und das bei jedem einzelne Ton. Großartig.

Das verrückte bei „Portal Of I“ ist schlicht und ergreifend die Tatsache, dass trotz des bunt gemischten Genrechaos nichts, nein, kein einziger Ton verkünstelt, aufgesetzt oder gar unpassend wirkt. NE OBLIVISCARIS liefern eine derart homogene, in sich schlüssige und perfekt abgestimmte Leistung ab, dass es eine wahre Freude ist. Das mag an der großartigen und oft eingesetzten Violine liegen, vielleicht auch am perfekt abgemischten Sound (Jens Bogren saß beim Mix und Mastering hinter den Reglern), vielleicht auch an der spürbaren Spielfreude. Vielleicht auch ein bisschen von allem – Fakt ist, NE OBLIVISCARIS haben die Seele der Musik eingefangen und verstanden, was Musik bedeutet. Kein festgefahrenes Schubladendenken. Keine festen Songstrukturen. Nur Musik in ihrer reinsten Form.

Ich spare mir große Worte: Die volle Punktzahl ist angebracht. Begebt euch auf die musikalische Reise, auf eine Reise in emotionale Höhen und Tiefen, entdeckt Wunderschönes, entdeckt Welten aus Eis und Feuer, entdeckt Nachdenkliches, entdeckt Großartiges. Entdeckt „Portal Of I“, den klaren Anwärter für mein persönliches Album des Jahres. Ihr werdet es nicht bereuen.

 

[Svartwerk]

www.globaldomination.se/reviews/ne-obliviscaris-portal-of-i

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 9/10

So far in 2012, I’ve been the most “on the ball” about vacuuming up new metal for GlobalD reviews than any other year to date, which has paid off quite handsomely; I already have a good-sized list of 8.5 records or above, so I’ll be more than prepared for my best-of-year list in December. However, there is a downside to having so many metal options to choose from, which is, the more records you have queued up, the less time you get to dedicate to each one individually. This is why I decided to just skim through Ne Obliviscaris’s debut “Portal of I” after downloading it, and why I quickly deleted it after the first few minutes of its opener failed to click with me; why waste time on these Aussie newcomer that no one’s heard of when there’s just so much good metal coming out/about to come out, right?

Thank FUCK I reconsidered after hearing some more positive buzz online, though, as giving this a second chance has revealed to me one of the better metal records of the year so far, a classy, ambitious, progressive slab of extreme metal, both aggressive AND intelligent/beautiful. Yeah, one of their instruments is a freakin’ violin (and I don’t mean a few cameos, it’s a MAIN instrument), so you could say this is, er, pretty artsy metal. Other may prefer to use another term (like “pretentious”?), but “Portal” still packs plenty of balls, and anyway, while I’m certainly no hater of the more traditional metals, once in a while, you do get tired of just hearing the same ol’ conventions being used over and over, regardless of how well they’re executed, so Ne Obliviscaris seems to be the perfect thing to cockslap me out of my (slight) metal funk.

To tackle the more conventionally metal parts of the record first, black/death fans (and blackened death fans?) should enjoy those, as some of the heavier sections capture the raw, evil aggression and feeling of black; y’now, dark, rough guitar sound, blastbeating, some shriek-y growling courtesy of designated harsh vocalist Xenoy, the works. As for the more death-y sections, Xenoy switches up his voice for a more guttural, traditional death growl, and there’s even some melo death-y songwriting/guitarwork here as well too, which of course, I think are great. As so should you too, naturally.

But what about the avant-garde portions of “Portal”, the thing that actually makes this special…? Well, where that comes in is when you hear designated clean vocalist Tim Charles’s violin playing right behind the guitar in the mix sometimes, but even moreso when everything just calms down, and that classical music staple takes over the entire track. A superb example of this is near the 4-minute mark on the epic, 12 minute opener “Tapestry of the starless abstract” (what’d I say about pretentious?); the harsh guitars fade away, the clean guitars & wonderful violin work ease in for an extended calm oasis in the middle of the track, and the entire experience just feels like the sweet, cig-smoking, post-orgasmic afterglow to a bout of furious sex. And the afterglow (soft stuff) on that song feels better than the actual sex (metal) does; sweet.

However, even after going for seven mins, the opener still has another FIVE to go, so what does Obliviscaris do…? That’s right; they bring back the heavy shit, but also keep the violin action going in near-equal measure, making the two disparate sounds work fully together; best of both worlds, biatch! Brilliant, and the entire record is full of memorable moments like that; beautiful soft/acoustic sections, jazzy interludes, intense soloing, great energy, climatic melodies, contrasting clean/harsh vox that still intertwine brilliantly, hauntingly operatic chanting, and of course, lovely violin solos that manage to shine out despite all the noise surrounding them. Hell, track #4, “Forget not”…? It’s a 12 minute track, and is mostly soft with very little harsh stuff at all, and it still works perfectly here. Well done.

As for the overall songwriting, it has this wonderful, prog-y ebb and flow to it, which is kinda essential when you have tracks this long. The songs are always heading toward something new, and even when they turn on a dime from soft to harsh, the transitions still feel natural, never forced. And as another nice touch, a minor one, but still good, are Brendan Brown’s lively bass lines, and actually do something besides just mindlessly slave along to the rhythm guitar.

Granted, not every aspect here is perfect, as Tim’s clean vocals aren’t really great; they’re more palatable when synced next to Xenoy’s harsh work, but when completely solo, they are noticeably whiny. Some of the parts he does are kind of pleasant, but for the most part, meh. Still, besides that, “Portal of I” is near-flawless, and one damn, damned good slice of brainy, experimental metal, and though it certainly isn’t for every metalhead out there, for those who can dig it, it just may be the best piece of Irish folk music-sounding metal this year. Er, yeah.

Incredibly close to perfection. Holy. Fucken. Shit.

 

[Svartwerk]

http://serviet.tumblr.com/post/26237874334/chronique-of-the-week-ne-obliviscaris-portal-of-i

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I

Voilà une chronique pas vraiment facile à rédiger. Ne Obliviscaris n’est pas un groupe facile à chroniquer. Après une première démo paru en 2007, le groupe sort le 7 mai ce Portal of I. A noter qu’il est produit par Jens Bogren, producteur qui a pu posé sa patte avec des groupes tel que Opeth ou Katatonia, ça en dit long vous allez voir.

Alors pourquoi difficile à chroniquer ? Ben déjà, le genre musical est assez corsé : une sorte de Metal progressif versatile tendance Black Mélodique avec des violons dedans. Ensuite, la musique est effroyablement complexe, et très difficle à décortiquer. Pour finir, la durée moyenne des morceaux doit être de 10 minutes. Mais pas de découragement, on se lance !

Direct je vous préviens, c’est pratiquement inutile d’écouter un unique titre de l’album. Pour être apprécié à sa juste valeur, l’album doit être écouté dans sa globalité. En effet, vous n’allez pas trouver the riff ou le passage qui tue sur un titre. C’est la continuité de l’album qui vous fera kiffer.

Leur musique peut être comparé à une sorte de voyage chaotique en mer. Pris en pleine tempête, le groupe nous assène plusieurs vagues de brutalité, parsemée de plusieurs accalmies poétiques et mélancoliques. Pour les passages brutaux, on a ma foi du classique, des tremolos riffs véloces parfois assez mélodiques avec une voix bien Black derrière. Les passages mid-tempos sont pour ma part bien plus plaisants (j’ai du mal avec le Black Metal quel qu’il soit) avec par exemple And Plague Flowers The Kaleido. Mais le meilleur reste les passages calmes aériens, avec des passages à la gratte acoustique.

Il faut greffer à tout cela un insrtrument quasiment omniprésent : le violon. On peut l’entendre dans la majorité des compositions. On salue l’originalité et le talent, les musiciens assurent vraiment, mais si on doit apporter un bémol, je trouve juste que ses partitions manquent un poil de “pulse” ou de je ne sais quoi, il manque peut-être un peu plus de créativité (ça reste quand même une pure démonstration de ce que l’on peut faire avec cette instrument) et moins de redondance. La vraie particularité est aussi la dualité entre le violon et les guitares, on ressent une certaine dissonance entre les deux qui rend le rendu étrange mais agréable.

Transition toute faite avec les différents chants. Les growls de Xenoyr se mélangent souvent avec le chant clair de Tim Charles, c’est le même que pour les guitares/violon. Pour en revenir au chant clair, celui-çi est vraiment nickel, clairement dans la mouvance prog mais travaillé.

Le travail se retrouve aussi dans les compositions souvent complexes mais on s’emmerde jamais malgré la longueur. Du fait justement aux différentes composantes de la musique (voir les paragraphes plus haut). Quelques passages semblent sortis de nulle part mais bon, c’est inhérent au genre.

L’un des (petits) défauts de cet album et du groupe en général sont les influences un peu trop marqués. En effet, on pense tout de suite à Enslaved pour le côté Black Metal progressif et Opeth pour les passages acoustiques et mélancoliques. Ce petit côté Folk mérite une précision. Si les passages acoustiques d’Opeth sont hivernales et scandinaves, ici on en est loin puisque le groupe est Australien.

Pour en revenir à la production et à Jens Bogren, celui-çi a fait un travail remarquable en attribuant à chaque instrument un place prépondérante dans le mix. Le seul minuscule reproche est un certain manque de précision lors des passages bien brutaux.

Un bonne claque et pourtant le Black même mélodique me botte pas. Mais quand on possède un excellent talent pour la composition et qu’on ajoute une touche progressive, je ne peux que m’incliner. C’est vraiment un excellent disque, pas facile d’accès mais qui en vaut la peine.

 

[Svartwerk]

http://www.bleeding4metal.de/index.php?show=review_de&id=4351

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 9.5/10

Es gibt Bands, deren neueste Alben schwer zu besprechen sind, was nicht daran liegt, dass das aktuelle Werk von jener Truppe grottenschlecht ausfällt, sondern weil es ein Meisterwerk geworden ist. Denn man hat soviel über jenen Longplayer zu erzählen, dass man durchaus einen ganzen Roman schreiben könnte. Nur, wer will das alles lesen? Es geht ja schließlich "nur" um ein Album. Ja, aber um was für eines! Dank NE OBLIVISCARIS' "Portal of I" habe ich nun die schwere Aufgabe, euch zu erklären, wieso dieser Longplayer ein Meisterwerk geworden ist, ohne dabei einen ganzen Roman zu schreiben.

Widmen wir uns erst einmal kurz der Band. NE OBLIVISCARIS ist eine sechsköpfige Musikertruppe aus Australien. Gegründet wurde die Band im Jahre 2003 in Melbourne. Die Jungs spielen progressiven Extreme Metal. Extreme bedeutet in diesem Fall aber nicht, dass hier geblastet wird bis der Arzt kommt. Nein, sondern das Sextett kombiniert verschiedene Elemente aus Death-, Thrash-, Black-, Dark-, Heavy Metal, Jazz, Flamenco und Western Music miteinander und erschafft dabei seine eigene, ja, man kann schon sagen, individuelle Tonkunst. Derartiges hat man in der Tat SO noch nicht gehört. Nun es ist den Jungs endlich gelungen, ihr Debütalbum auf den Markt zu bringen. Und "Portal Of I" hat es wahrhaftig in sich.

Somit sind wir auch schon beim Hauptthema dieses Artikels angekommen. Derjenige, dessen Entschlossenheit darauf beruht, sich diesem Album widmen zu wollen, wird bei der Ausführung seines Vorhabens feststellen, dass er keinerlei Zeit zur Gewöhnung von der Band spendiert bekommt. Will heißen, sobald der erste Ton vom Opener, 'Tapestry Of The Starless Abstract', durch die Boxen schallt, wird man sofort in eine komplexe Welt entführt, deren Faszination man sich nur schwer, bisweilen gar nicht, entziehen kann. Wird zu Beginn noch wild geblastet, und man stellt sich die Frage, ob dieser Black Metal eher aus Norwegen oder Schweden kommen könnte, so wird mittendrin ein komplett anderer Weg eingeschlagen. Denn dann ertönen auf einmal Geigen und Akustikgitarren und unvermutet bekommt man ein langsames, verträumtes Instrumental-Stück zu hören. Anschließend bewegt sich die Band wieder zum Black Metal zurück, verfeinert diesen nun mit Dark- und Heavy Metal-Elementen und lässt dabei keine Möglichkeit aus, die verschiedensten Melodien und Harmonien einzufügen, aber ohne dass es zuviel des Guten wird. Inmitten dieses Geschehens liefern sich die 2 Sänger, Xenoyr und Tim Charles, ein ergreifendes Duell. Dieses könnte man als Gut gegen Böse, Verzweiflung gegen Hoffnung oder Wut gegen Gelassenheit bezeichnen. Tja, und nachdem die 12 Minuten des Openers vorbei sind, hat man zwar das Gefühl, mehrere Stücke hintereinander gehört zu haben, aber gleichzeitig wird man sich eingestehen, dass alles perfekt zusammengepasst hat und letztendlich war es dann doch nur ein Song, ein verdammt Guter noch dazu. Noch viel facettenreicher müsst Ihr euch auch die anderen Tracks vorstellen.

Während ich diese Zeilen schreibe, läuft das Album bereits zum 5. Mal durch. Ich finde, es sind nicht nur einfach Songs, die ich da höre, sondern ganze Symphonien. Von Anfang bis Ende makellos, anders kann ich sie nicht bezeichnen. Es gibt soviel zu entdecken, dass man definitiv eine Menge Zeit benötigt, um diesen Longplayer zu....,ja, zu erforschen. Z.B. alle Stilrichtungen, die ich zu Beginn aufgezählt habe, rauszuhören, ist nicht mal so eben zu bewerkstelligen, und ich werde auch das Gefühl nicht los, dass es da noch viel mehr gibt. Oder allein die ganzen verschiedenen Stimmungen, die in jeder Symphonie zum Ausdruck gebracht werden, sind nicht einfach mal so aufzuzählen. Macht eure Erfahrungen mit "Portal Of I". Nehmt euch die Zeit. Ich bin mir sicher, die meisten von euch werden es nicht bereuen. Bleibt nur noch zu hoffen, dass NE OBLIVISCARIS die verdiente Aufmerksamkeit bekommen! Ich kann nicht anders, als dieser Platte die fast volle Punktzahl zu geben!

 

[Svartwerk]

http://www.impattosonoro.it/2012/06/29/recensioni/ne-obliviscaris-portal-of-i/

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I

Ne Obliviscaris: non dimenticare. Concetto semplice e diretto, ma che rimanda a un caleidoscopio di interpretazioni potenzialmente infinito, che risulta certamente affascinante ed emozionante, tanto quanto la musica proposta da questo intraprendente gruppo australiano.

“Portal Of I”, debutto del sestetto di Melbourne, è un concentrato di metal estremo, cangiante e multiforme, che spazia senza problemi dal death al black, dal prog al gothic, grazie a non comuni capacità compositive e interpretative. L’ambizioso progetto della band è dotato di tutto l’equilibrio strutturale e talento tecnico necessari alla sua completa riuscita, e infatti siamo al cospetto di uno degli album più validi e sorprendenti dell’anno in corso.

Sette brani, per oltre 70 minuti di musica, numeri che delineano i contorni di una proposta certamente complessa e molto articolata, che incorpora elementi affini a Opeth, My Dying Bride, Cynic, Agalloch, Intronaut, ultimi Mastodon, in un incessante proliferare e mutare di atmosfere e sensazioni.
La formazione include basso, batteria, due chitarristi, due cantanti e un violinista, permettendo un ampio ventaglio di possibilità e soluzioni (folk, flamenco, neoclassical, jazz), come si può apprezzare sin dall’opener “Tapestry Of The Starless Abstract”.

Il palese talento dei Ne Obliviscaris permette loro di mantenere un livello qualitativo elevato e costante, senza battute d’arresto o cali di tensione, sia che si tratti dei frangenti più heavy e d’impatto (“Xenoflux”, “As Icicles Fall”), sia nelle atmosfere acustiche e dilatate di “Forget Not”.

L’essenza tipicamente e genuinamente progressive della band emerge in modo spontaneo, come tendenza al gioco di rimandi e incastri compositivi, cambi di tempo, sezioni soliste, ma viene perfettamente bilanciata dalla costante esigenza/urgenza espressiva, la vera priorità comunicativa della band.

“Portal Of I”, a dispetto dei complessi e sofisticati elementi di cui è composto, è un’opera scorrevole e davvero appassionante, nella quale concetti come melodia, armonia e arrangiamento sono portati a un livello superiore, tale per cui il disco non esaurisce affatto le sue potenzialità in una manciata d’ascolti, ma continua ad avvincere e rivelare progressivamente i suoi segreti e le sue diverse sfumature.

Un piccolo grande capolavoro, che ribadisce quanto sia raro trovare contemporaneamente ambizione, talento e anima, all’interno di una stessa opera artistica. Ne Obliviscaris, chapeau!

 

[Svartwerk]

http://kjagradio.com/mic/1207/05.html

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 10/10

Australia has really had a prog metal revival in the last few years with such bands breaking through to the states such as Karnivool and Dead Letter Circus, which are both on the poppier, Tool influenced style of prog.

Ne Obliviscaris on the other hand... is a completely different story. Ne Obliviscaris is what needed to happen to progressive death metal. Opeth, meets the black metal of Emperor, meets prog of Dream Theater, and meets the atmosphere of Alcest.

To me, this is an absolute winning combination right off the bat with the first song, Tapestry of the Starless Abstract covers the full gambit of what this band is all about. From black metal blast beats, to the violin driven melodies, to their beautiful acoustic guitar work, it's the most mind-blowing ending to a song I've ever heard. And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope is my first impression from the band, an 11 minute plus song that starts with a two minute violin solo followed by their true love of Opeth style progressive death metal. The odd ball of the whole album is the song, As Icicles Fall, a song that is still very much in their style, but also a song that could be on modern metal radio (if edited for length of course).

Every song on this album is pure, unadulterated perfection. It grabs at your heartstrings and makes you feel just as much as it makes you headbang and feel metal. It happens on a couple albums every year for me, but so far only Alcest's Les Voyages de l'ame had made me feel real emotion and true passion this year, until now. Portal Of I is everything I'm looking for in a metal album and a whole lot more.

This album will be taking the metal world by storm and will be hitting a lot of people's top ten lists this year, if not hitting the number one position.

I will go on record saying this is my favorite album of the year so far, and it will take a lot, and I mean a lot to knock this out of my number one spot. Best underground discovery of 2012!

 

[Svartwerk]

http://www.metal.de/black-metal/review/ne-obliviscaris/5050

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 9/10

Es war wie ein leises Flüstern. Der Name NE OBLIVISCARIS geisterte vor gut fünf Jahren durch diverse Foren und war doch, zu Unrecht, wenig beachtet. "The Aurora Veil", so der Titel des Drei-Track-Demos, hinterließ Begeisterung und enorm hohe Erwartungen. Doch, im Gegensatz zu vielen Kollegen, ließen sich die Australier von all dem Lob nicht zu einem Schnellschuss hinreißen, sondern verschwanden zunächst für fünf Jahre in der Versenkung. Nach 2007 war erst einmal Ruhe. Die Band ließ sich Zeit und kehrt erst 2012 wieder wirklich zurück, im Gepäck das Debütalbum "Portal Of I".

Das Warten hat sich gelohnt, oh ja! NE OBLIVISCARIS sind ungewöhnliche, fantastische Musiker, jene seltene Gattung von Band, die wahre Klanggemälde erschafft und dabei derart viele Farbmischungen, Schattierungen und Details verwendet, dass es im ersten Moment leicht überfordernd wirkt. Das ist aber schnell überstanden, und danach gilt es, die Ohren zu spitzen für diese unbändige Energie und Kreativität, welche die Australier so spielend aufbringen. Der Mund klappt da ganz von selbst auf. Stilistisch ist das Material dann noch schwerer zu verorten. Black Metal ist dabei, melodischer Death Metal auch, aber das ist noch längst nicht das Ende der Fahnenstange. Wer das will, kann relativ wahllos Genrebezeichnugen durcheinander werfen. Progressive Metal, Klassik, Jazz, Fusion, Post Rock, die Aufzählung ließe sich nach Belieben fortsetzen und mischen, aber das nur als ganz grobe Idee.

NE OBLIVISCARIS sind da gedanklich weiter, was sich in Worten kaum einfangen lässt, ist die Leichtigkeit, mit der das Sextett all diese Stile zu einer homogenen, sehr abwechslungsreichen, aber keineswegs kopflastigen Mischung vereint. Besonders faszinierend, wenn nicht gar einzigartig ist der Anteil der Geige auf "Portal Of I". Eigentlich schon als zweite Stimme entlockt Tim Charles dem Instrument derart viele ungewöhnliche Klänge, dass es einem schon wieder die Sprache verschlägt. Er ist es, der NE OBLIVISCARIS vermutlich noch das Tüpfelchen auf dem I verpasst. Aber auch hier, ein unbeschreiblich geniales Detail von vielen. Denn bei aller Liebe für Details, ungewöhnliche Wendungen und Einflüsse kommt auch der (Black) Metal nicht zu kurz. Es erheben sich gewaltige Stürme, unüberwindliche Gitarrenwände und niederdrückende Knüppelattacken. Alles getarnt in dem gesamt Kunstwerk, Killerriffs zuhauf, ergreifende Leads ebenso wie gewöhnungsbedürftiger, aber ergreifender Klargesang. Letzterer erreicht mühelos die Intensität des Geschreis.

Ach was rede ich noch weiter, hier ließe sich mühelos ein Roman schreiben. "Portal Of I" hat dermaßen viele großartige Momente, die ein ganzer Haufen von Bands gemeinsam nie erreichen würde. Seien es nun machtvolle, vor Kraft strotzende, oder doch eher verträumte, beinahe zerbrechlich wirkende Passagen, sie alle haben ihren Raum gefunden. "Portal Of I" ist keine Kopf-Musik, bei aller Progressivität, bei aller musikalischen Klasse setzt sich das Album sofort im Gehör fest, ist emotional und mit soviel Gefühl eingespielt, dass einem vor Begeisterung und Respekt nur der erneute Griff zur Play-Taste bleibt. Ein kleines Ärgernis bleibt aber am Rande: Besitzer von "The Aurora Veil" dürfen sich nur auf vier neue Stücke freuen, da die komplette Demo enthalten ist. Da das hierzulande aber sich nicht all zu viele sein dürften, nun ja, Scheuklappen ab, CD bestellen und versinken. Die vielen Details dürft ihr dann selber erkunden... denn damit bin ich noch immer nicht ganz durch und gönne mir jetzt direkt die nächste Runde!

 

[Svartwerk]

http://www.metal-mirror.de/cms/magazin-2/

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 9/10

Das Debüt dieser australischen Death-Progger hat sehr lange auf sich warten lassen, was wohl Einige in wahre Stürme der Vorfreude versetzen konnte. Nun liegt es daran, zu entscheiden, ob das zurecht war. Wir haben anspruchsvolle, vielschichtige Musik mit hohem Wiederspielwert, da sich zum einen manche tolle Idee in den Gehörgängen festsetzt und zum anderen die Musik auch bei mehrmaligem Hören viele neue Elemente zu bieten hat. Interessant ist der hohe Anteil an Violinen-Leads, die der Musik einen eigenen Charakter verleihen. Dazu liefern die Gitarren Prog-typische Strukturen. Zu meckern gibt´s demnach nur wenig: Oft sind die Songs ein wenig überladen, vor allem durch das zu stark Black-Metal-orientierte Schlagzeug und den cleanen Vocals, die nicht ganz so überzeugend sind wie der Rest. Insgesamt aber überaus empfehlenswert.
9 / 10 (Christoph Sperber)

 

[Svartwerk]

http://valleyofsteel.wordpress.com/2012/07/11/out-last-month-ne-obliviscaris-portal-of-i/#more-1737

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I

How’s it going, Dear Readers? I’ve got another amazing album I would like to share with you. I’ve been so fortunate with how much good stuff I’ve been coming across lately, I only wish that I had more time to write about it all so that you could have the chance to read about it and listen to it sooner! I guess what I’m saying is, it makes me feel guilty that my brain and fingers don’t work quite as fast as my ears sometimes…

Anyway, here we have Portal of I, the (relatively) new album by the Melburnian sextet Ne Obliviscaris. I usually have a pretty good memory when it comes to my history with specific bands, but to be honest I have no idea where or when I discovered these guys. Chances are, I probably read something about them over at No Clean Singing, or possibly at The Number of the Blog, since I’ve made an awful lot of discoveries through both of those places.

Oh and by the way, for all you former TNOTB readers who have been grieving since that website was lost in cyberspace, I hope you’ve started reading Oculus Infernus, the new home of head editor and writer Grover XIII. In case you haven’t seen it yet, the new blog can be found here. (And while we’re at it, No Clean Singing is over here.)

As I was saying, sometime, somehow I came across this group of Aussies, and I found them intriguing enough to “like” them on Facebook. Fast-forward to this May, when the band invited all their fans to “International Ne Obliviscaris Sharing Day” — when they planned to reveal an advance single from their then-forthcoming new album. I wrote about that impromptu holiday, and then shared the song (“Xenoflux”). Based on previous experience I had expected it would be good, but as it turns out, it was amazing!

To make a long story short, soon after that, the album was released in Australia and New Zealand on Welkin Records, a small, independent label run by one of the band members; right around the same time it was announced that Ne Obliviscaris had signed on with Italy’s Code666 Records for the rest of the world. This made perfect sense to me, since I’ve always found that Code666 tends to work with very good — and very unique — bands. So then the album was available all over the world, and about a month later, it’s finally time for me to share this masterpiece with you.

Ne Obliviscaris (named for the Latin phrase meaning “Do Not Forget”) is an extreme metal band that has a violin in it. Ask anybody, even the band themselves, and that’s probably the first description you’ll get. In fact, on their Facebook page, the description reads, “Progressive/extreme/melodic metal (with violin) from Melbourne, Australia.”

If you ask me, that doesn’t really paint a good enough picture. Korpiklaani is a metal band with a violinist, but don’t expect to find any metal songs with folk music incorporated into it (nor folk songs with metal music incorporated) here. And, while they may not have a violinist as an actual band member, Septicflesh is another extreme metal band that has uses orchestral and symphonic instruments, but don’t expect metal songs with orchestral parts added to them (nor orchestral music with metal added), either.

No, what that description fails to tell you is that this is a six-piece band where one of those pieces just happens to be a violin; these songs weren’t all arranged and then the band decided to add a violin on top — it’s every bit a part of things as the guitars, bass, drums, or the vocals are. Just like Camper Van Beethoven, or Kansas, or Dave Matthews Band.

Okay, okay, nothing like Dave Matthews Band.

But now that I’ve mentioned it, Kansas is not such an odd comparison — if they used way more distortion and replaced one of the singers with a black/death metal guy. They might not get a lot of recognition when people are talking about the foundations of progressive rock, but many of their songs — even some of the better-known ones like “Point of Know Return” or “Carry on Wayward Son” — employ atypical structures and exhibit many of the common characteristics of what is referred to as progressive music.

Likewise, Ne Obliviscaris would very aptly be described as progressive — or even avant-garde, in one of the rare cases when that term can be applied in its literal sense, referring to something that is so unique and experimental as to be at the forefront (or ‘vanguard’) of its field.

One only has to look as far as the very first song on this album, “Tapestry of the Starless Abstract” (which is one of several songs available for streaming via the Bandcamp widget embedded below) for evidence of this. Even within just the first minute or two (out of the song’s twelve-minute duration) — it starts out sounding like purely atmospheric black metal, then almost immediately the sound breaks down with the vocals dropping out in favor of some tuneless noodly plucking on the violin strings, segueing straight into more of a death-metal feel (the drumming and riffing remain fairly similar at first, but a deep gutteral growl enters, accompanying the lofty clean vocals, in place of the blackened snarls from the beginning of the song). Light acoutic guitar strumming sets an interesting texture against the heavy riffs, which then are accompanied by some spacey dive-bomb guitar sounds. Like I said, this is only the first two minutes!

A lengthy middle section (still talking about the same song) of ringing banjo-rolls (again on the acoustic guitar) supports a far-off melody on the violin, until the metal guitars re-enter, while the violin moves back into the forefront. From here on, the rest of the track sums up the essence of the album as a whole: alternating between black and death metal, psychedelic and power metal, sometimes two or more of these at the same time, this is surely the exact definition of “progressive.”

This is music that seems to thrive on contrasts. Often punishingly heavy, with monstrous guitar riffs and blastbeat drumming, the acoustic guitar still shines through as a textural element, or sometimes it takes the driver’s seat (at one point, even almost resembling the distinctive picking style of the Kansas classic “Dust in the Wind,” though that could be just my imagination).

The violin, similarly adds interesting colors to the otherwise brutal metallic music, and sometimes steps out into the spotlight (more than once bringing to mind the iconic solo from Rimsky-Korsakov‘s “Capriccio Espagnol”) or at least shares it, intertwining melodic lines with the lead guitar part.

Just as often, though, things turn deathly still — with just a minimal amount of guitar, violin, or singing carrying the song for a brief interlude. And speaking of contrasts, the bass and drums also take turns leading the show, here with a few minutes of jazzy vamping, or there with a bit of funk-rock-inspired grooves. In the end, though, it always comes back to the metal — out of nowhere they’ll explode back into a whirling madness.

Vocally, the group tends to use contrast and juxtaposition as well — a blackened rasp through some parts, switching over to the death-growl-plus-clean duet in other parts. The growling is a fairly deep roar, yet set into the mix in such a way as to highlight (rather than obscure) the clean parts, much in the same way the crunchy guitar chords accentuate (rather than overpower) the violin.

“Clean singing” is another phrase that can often give the wrong impression, especially when used in conjunction with the harsher extreme metal vocal styles that are present here. Too often the clean part consists of what I unaffectionately refer to as “whiny emo bitch” singing. Not so with NeO. Instead, here they either sound powerful (not in the sense of power metal, but a good, strong, masculine voice) or falsetto and delicate — still managing to convey powerful emotion, but sounding quite lovely (somewhat along the lines of Bono on songs like “With or Without You” or “One”).

In the end, though, try as I might, I find I’m unable to adequately describe the powerful feelings one experiences while listening to Portal of I. As the name implies, the recording is like a 70-minute journey deep within oneself. I’ve done my best to tell you what the music sounds like, on the surface, but you really need to check it out for yourself to truly “get it.” Fortunately, almost all of it is available for you to sample before making your purchase…

 

[Svartwerk]

http://www.hardsounds.it/recensione.php?id=8573

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Rating: 90/100

'Portal Of I' è un capolavoro. Un disco a cui non manca (quasi) niente. Una miscela di metal estremo e progressivo dal forte impatto melodico ed emotivo. Sfuriate black, maestosità sinfonica, intermezzi acustici mozzafiato - flamenco e folk - violino a tutti gli effetti uno strumento portante e non un semplice riempivuoto, passaggi prog funzionali dal feeling jazzato e tecnica sopraffina - senza mai eccedere nell'esecuzione - voce pulita e growl che si alternano per poi intrecciarsi. E non aspettatevi un calderone in cui viene buttato dentro di tutto. La virtù fondamentale dei Ne Obliviscaris è l'equilibrio, il bilanciamento (quasi) perfetto delle differenti anime che lo caratterizzano. Una padronanza della materia straordinaria per una band all'esordio che mostra subito grande personalità ed altrattanto talento. Sestetto che sa osare a ragion veduta, e che si esprime con una profondità invidiabile come in "Forget Not", brano strutturato su più livelli che procede prima in crescendo, per decrescere poi e ritornare all'inizio: atmosfera-progressione-rabbia-atmosfera. Per quanto ragionato, 'Portal Of I' riesce ad imprimere una forza brutale sul piano emotivo che raramente abbiamo ascoltato negli ultimi tempi; per non dire degli arrangiamenti - eleganti e ferini allo stesso tempo - e della cura maniacale dei particolari tramite cui è possibile concedersi e godere pienamente delle tentazioni che il gruppo australiano ci offre. Sette lunghi brani che danno la sensazione di poter continuare all'infinito tant'è la scorrevolezza e la naturalezza con cui vengono eseguiti, motivo che ci induce a credere che i Ne Obliviscaris possono fare qualsiasi cosa, comporre e lavorare sulle composizioni con estrema serenità grazie ad un talento fuori dall'ordinario. Non uno stile preciso, non uno schema ben identificato, e certamente anche qualcosa di già sentito perchè ormai niente nasce dal nulla: in una sola parola, come si scriveva all'inizio, un capolavoro.