Oblomov Mighty Cosmic Dances
Deepsend Records DSR020 January 28th, 2006
By Jason Jordan
Sharing Mr. Vs (Vintersorg, Borknagar, and many others) affinity for science and philosophy, Czech Republics Oblomov siphon traits from several other bands on their debut showing. Mighty Cosmic Dances, to generalize, is an entertaining record, but is also short-stacked in the innovation category. Perhaps most importantly, if you dont mind or are even searching for a group that recalls Amorphis, Crimson Moonlight, and Enslaved at regular intervals, then youll fancy what these Czechs have prepared.
Oblomov are blackened death crusaders on a quest to, uh, create blackened death metal. Hopefully theyll sell some records, too. Anyhow, taking it one by one, vocalist Honza could match Pilgrims (Crimson Moonlight) growls perfectly, and Im a fan of how he handles his vocal duties. Instrument-wise, however, there are a few on tap that arent normally associated with this style. In example, the jazzy saxophone will remind you of latter-day Amorphis, whereas the synthetic keyboards dance about like the prog exploits of Cronian. Theres also a shitload of melodic guitar leads. On a different note, the faux-flute left me thinking of Enslaved, just as 1 of the 4 confirms with its confident riffing. Now that I mention it, the production is in the same class as Isas, though slicker and more polished, especially in regards to the bass drum sound. The structure is about as streamlined as it gets, presenting nine songs of various lengths, which total approximately 40 minutes. Not too shabby no matter how one slices it.
Being a melting pot of influences, Mighty Cosmic Dances hasnt upstaged its competition, but Im of the opinion that Oblomov are a bankable crew with a firm grip on their style. This isnt the pinnacle of blackened death, by a long shot, nor is it jaw-droppingly inventive. As a psychic, you knew that. Though during the stopgap between the new Amorphis and Enslaved, Ive been listening to this consistently propping my feet up, closing my eyes, and absorbing the outpouring.
7.5/10
UMs Review Rating Scale
Official Oblomov Website
Official Deepsend Records Website
Deepsend Records DSR020 January 28th, 2006
By Jason Jordan
Sharing Mr. Vs (Vintersorg, Borknagar, and many others) affinity for science and philosophy, Czech Republics Oblomov siphon traits from several other bands on their debut showing. Mighty Cosmic Dances, to generalize, is an entertaining record, but is also short-stacked in the innovation category. Perhaps most importantly, if you dont mind or are even searching for a group that recalls Amorphis, Crimson Moonlight, and Enslaved at regular intervals, then youll fancy what these Czechs have prepared.
Oblomov are blackened death crusaders on a quest to, uh, create blackened death metal. Hopefully theyll sell some records, too. Anyhow, taking it one by one, vocalist Honza could match Pilgrims (Crimson Moonlight) growls perfectly, and Im a fan of how he handles his vocal duties. Instrument-wise, however, there are a few on tap that arent normally associated with this style. In example, the jazzy saxophone will remind you of latter-day Amorphis, whereas the synthetic keyboards dance about like the prog exploits of Cronian. Theres also a shitload of melodic guitar leads. On a different note, the faux-flute left me thinking of Enslaved, just as 1 of the 4 confirms with its confident riffing. Now that I mention it, the production is in the same class as Isas, though slicker and more polished, especially in regards to the bass drum sound. The structure is about as streamlined as it gets, presenting nine songs of various lengths, which total approximately 40 minutes. Not too shabby no matter how one slices it.
Being a melting pot of influences, Mighty Cosmic Dances hasnt upstaged its competition, but Im of the opinion that Oblomov are a bankable crew with a firm grip on their style. This isnt the pinnacle of blackened death, by a long shot, nor is it jaw-droppingly inventive. As a psychic, you knew that. Though during the stopgap between the new Amorphis and Enslaved, Ive been listening to this consistently propping my feet up, closing my eyes, and absorbing the outpouring.
7.5/10
UMs Review Rating Scale
Official Oblomov Website
Official Deepsend Records Website
Since I'm just getting into Amorphis/Vintersong, I highly doubt I'll be bored with rehashes of the genre. Will probably pick this up next time I'm out. Thanks for the review 
