Review: Obsidian Tide – The Grand Crescendo

Style: Progressive death metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Ne Obliviscaris, Enslaved, Black Crown Initiate
Review by: Zach
Country: Israel
Release date: 29 September, 2023

A new prog-death album is like unwrapping a present on Christmas (or in my case, Hanukkah) morning. The vaguely PS5 shaped box is, in fact, a PS5, and I’m gonna get excited about it anyway. I know what I’m getting into when I review prog-death, and I also know in most cases, I’m really going to enjoy it. Am I a little biased? Yeah. See the score if you don’t want to read the ramblings of someone who’s unwrapping his next present. 

Obsidian Tide are a band that needs no introduction, seeing as they’re one of r/rpogmetal’s darlings. While my Subway compatriots probably have their debut, Pillars of Creation, sitting at around the range of a 7, I’ve got it slightly higher. However, time showed Pillars’ flaws as being less of a stellar masterwork than I remember, and more of just a really good album. Pillars is the sum of its influences, drawing from equal parts Opeth and Tool, and lacked identity as a result. The creative songwriting and Shachar Bieber’s incredible lyricism were there, but it began to fall just a little flatter with time.

Now, with nearly four more years of experience under their belts, Obsidian Tide have graced us with their newest release, and what an improvement it is. Clocking in at a massive sixty-two minutes, the Israelis lull you into this behemoth of an album with opener ‘Clandestine Calamities’. The ‘peth influences are still there, and they are always welcome, but this shows signs of a band who’ve finally found their sound. The riffs are unique to say the least, each counteracted by post-rock atmospherics that make each heavy riff hit harder. ‘Beyond’ is probably the best example of this, switching between a driving, chuggy riff and a simple, effective clean section. 

Obsidian Tide are a rhythm heavy band. Not a ton of wankery, and what little is on this album is much appreciated. ‘HALO CRVSHER’ opens with something not entirely out of place on Deliverance, with a much more bouncy attitude to it, and mutates throughout the song’s heavy sections. Beiber’s short solo makes use of the song’s chorus melody right before jumping right into a staccato acoustic rhythm. It’s surprises and unpredictable songwriting like these that I praise the most on this album. There’s always something interesting going on in every song, even if it’s one of the more simple riffs on display. 

I would be remiss to not mention how fantastic the lead work is on this album. Prog death is typically known for more emotive, slower solos than its brother genre, tech death. However, there are some absolutely RIPPING solos on this album. Oz Avneya’s mastery of the fretboard makes itself apparent on just about every track, barring the short outro track, with the standout being ‘The Undying Flames’. But once again, that unpredictability plays into effect as the rhythm section seems to completely decouple from the solo, leaving my attention drawn between the two in the best way possible. 

Speaking of instrumentals, the bass is (thankfully) present in the mix, and Bieber’s [editor’s notes: Sam says hi] lines never devolve into pure wankery. Reminiscent of Martin Mendez in his approach, the bass fills just enough space between riffs to beef them up, and he never overplays for the sake of technicality. Like his fellow brother in rhythm, drummer Erez Nalder, all their parts are restrained and incredibly classy. 

That being said, there’s no doubt that these three guys are ridiculously talented, and can go off the hook the moment they want to. Their songwriting has matured since Pillars, and despite the massive runtime, I wouldn’t take much off to shorten it. The closer ‘The Field of Reeds’, is a bit lengthy at 13 minutes, but I can’t really pinpoint what I’d take off.  I listened to this album a fair bit of times upon first receiving the promo, and I was always shocked at how quickly it flew by. This album has so many highlights that I find it downright impossible to list this many in my short review. 

So, I’d say these guys have done a pretty great job, all things considered. Am I probably biased in this rating too? Yeah, but you’re getting it from a prog death expert. It’s always nice to see a band shed their influences and become the best they can be. Obsidian Tide is probably going to read this review, so I’ll speak directly to them. You should feel proud of your achievement here, the sophomore slump clearly missed this band, and you’re all the better for it. Can’t wait for the next one.

Recommended tracks: Beyond, HALO CRVUSHER, The Undying Flames
You may also like: Dessiderium, Disillusion, The Anchoret, literally every other prog death band ever
Final verdict: 8.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Metal-Archives page

Label: Independent

Obisidan Tide is:
– Shachar Bieber (Harsh vocals, bass)
– Erez Nadler (Drums)
– Oz Avneya (Clean vocals, guitar)