Pillars of Creation

Hailing from Israel, Obsidian Tide are a very promising trio of musicians. Oz Avneya is the founder of the group; he plays guitar and performs the clean vocals. Erez Nadler handles the percussion, along with programming and some of the recording duties, while Shachar Bieber plays bass and performs the harsh vocals. Pillars of Creation was mixed and mastered by Jamie King (Scale the Summit, Between the Buried and Me, The Contortionist, Canvas Solaris and others) and features quite a few guest appearances. These include Mike LePond on bass, Omri Abramov on saxophone, Danielle Sassi on flute, Yuval Gur on violin, and Nitzan Habler on upright piano.

Pillars of Creation is the band’s first full-length effort, and it delivers upon the promise (and the expectations) set by its predecessor Debris, the band’s debut EP. It’s an album that’s been thoughtfully put together, especially considering that it is a concept album, telling the tale of a man who goes on a journey to enlightenment. On his journey, this man witnesses transfixing stories and learns of shattering truths. He ultimately makes the decision that following his conscience is the only way to go, and this choice changes everything.

The album quite easily deserves to be called a proper piece of progressive music. With such depth behind it, how could it not? Upon delving into it we see that musically, it lives up to the moniker in full. Pillars of Creation does not shy away from blending together all sorts of textures and sounds to give contour to every step of its journey. Stylistically, it’s nigh impossible to clearly pin down Obsidian Tide‘s sound to any particular genre/sub-genre. While at a first glance anyone would naturally say that this is a progressive death metal record, there are literally tons of subtleties and overtones that are carefully spread out to avoid such straightforward categorization.

There is a strong Watershed-era Opeth vibe that shimmers through in certain riffs and chords. It’s most noticeable in the way some of the acoustic segments land before or after some of the death metal sections. Even so, Obsidian Tide manage to retain a clear sense of identity throughout their use of elements that influence them. The seven tracks the record is comprised of may be eclectic in their arrangements, but come together as one organic whole when putting things into perspective. Each song builds incrementally upon the previous in such a way that changing anything would completely alter the established balance. This build-up leads to “Magnanimous”, the longest song and the album’s majestic coda.

Obsidian Tide also manage to strike a great balance between intricate song structures, technically proficient execution, and authentic expression, thus bridging gaps that very few manage with such elegance. “Hireath” is probably the best example of this particular trait, as it traverses a large spectrum of sounds while retaining a cohesive narrative that is engaging and emotionally charged. “King of a New Realm” also adheres to this characteristic, showcasing in small increments a little bit of everything that goes on throughout Pillars of Creation.

The sterling production enhances every segment to a nearly magical degree. Just as there is pounding grit during the metal parts, presenting them in the right light, so do the acoustic parts ease the listener into their mellow frame. As such, the more texturally driven post-rock-tinged parts create a deeply immersive mood. The transitions benefit most from this refinement of the sound, since there are many of them scattered in between, and sometimes they are quite abrupt.

Pillars of Creation isn’t just an album, it’s an experience. Obsidian Tide manage to tap into the virgin potential of what progressive music is at its heart – a different musical universe altogether. I rarely (and rather unfortunately) find myself dishing out such words, and man, am I happy to finally be able to do so! Pillars of Creation literally has a little something for everyone somewhere inside its songs, and just a little more to top it off. This is a highly rewarding listen for anyone who is ready and willing to invest the time.

originally published at: https://everythingisnoise.net/reviews/obsidian-tide-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.