Pillars of Creation

Obsidian Tide is a three man progressive metal band from Israel. "Pillars of Creation" is their debut, a concept album that I feel is strongly influenced by Opeth in songwriting style. At least that's what caught my attention when checking out their single "The Harbinger and the Millenial Vengeance". Also this song features a crazy good guest bass solo by Mike LePond from Symphony X which is and always will be one of my favorite bands. So that's a good mixture of prog legends to associate Obsidian Tide with but the good part is that they actually set themselves apart and have managed to create a sound of their own.

Although when hearing the combination of heavy guitar and bass tunes with a melodic and slightly atmospheric approach alternating with parts of soft clean guitar you're almost inclined to say this is Opeth, many elements of their music turn that thought around. For one it does not have such an apathetic, depressive vibe like Opeth (which is definitely a good thing for me) but actually feels a bit more on the narrative side, which isn't all that unexpected since this is a concept album. And another element that Obsidian Tide has integrated seamlessly in the Opeth backbone is the use of violin and flute (played by guest musicians) which actually complement very well with the clean guitars to prevent the soft parts from sounding empty or monotonous while also adding a lot of emotion! And as far as guest performances go, there's also a lovely piano part in "King of a New Realm" which totally feels like it came out of classical music, except for a sightly electronic tinge to the sound (cos it's upright piano). And to top it off, the final track "Magnanimous" (which is an 11 minute long bastard by the way) also has a saxophone solo.

But all these "spices", though very enriching to the final result, do not in any way distract from the band's performance which really is made to impress. The compositions are complex and diverse but also balanced enough to follow all the way through and allow a few hooks to squeeze their way in there. Some riffs are remarkably headbangy and the music does release a lot of energy when prompted to. The up and down feeling caused by the alternation of metal elements and softer moments doesn't allow you to lose interest. For one, the bass tunes are so tasty (and often in the forefront) that Mike LePond's performance did not really seem THAT MUCH of a stand out moment anymore after hearing the entire album. Not only is Shachar Bieber (bass dude) really big on technique and speed but he really knows how to bring life to the instrument and get some sick moods out of it. Guitarist Oz Avneya also doesn't disappoint and though his riffs are distinctively Opeth-ish, the lead parts are unique and really special in composition, technique and emotion. And one can't bypass those drum grooves from Erez Nadler, who is often the one responsible for the oomph in the songs but is also given spotlight moments to do some solo work. And I also love the use of alternate percussion elements he uses from time to time that create a bit of an acoustic, even tribal sort of groove.

The clean vocals were probably what put me off a bit at first (guitar guy doing those too) because, although well delivered, they don't always seem to fit into the mix properly, and the singing style does feel a bit limited. But it's really not much of a problem since the guy can actually sing and he comes as a package deal with the bass dude's growls that amp up the energy and variety. In the end it doesn't really seem right to complain about the vocals. The sound engineering is also remarkable, leaving a slightly muddy guitar sound while allowing the whole ensemble to sound clean and tight, which makes it feel both organic and high quality. I guess there is a bit of a nerdy prog vibe to the whole album but it's more of an underlying feature. "Pillars of Creation" feels both musically pleasant and challenges you just about enough. Whether you look at it from an enjoyment or analytical point of view, it is definitely worth your time!

Originally written for The Metal Observer.