The forgotten classic, or just a cheap imitation?
Chances are that if you're into death metal you've probably heard (and perhaps even enjoyed) the mind boggling madness of Atheist's Unquestionable Presence, Nocturnus' The Key or Death's Spiritual Healing. All classics within the genre, all from that damned year 1990. But how about From This Day Forward by Canada's Obliveon?
Maybe we owe Obliveon's relative obscurity to the fact that they are from Canada rather than the US, but this makes a poor excuse in the face of their ferocious prowess as songwriters in the realms of technical death metal.
Maybe we owe Obliveon's relative obscurity to the fact that they are from Canada rather than the US, but this makes a poor excuse in the face of their ferocious prowess as songwriters in the realms of technical death metal.
"...we're treated to a tinkering, spacious take on the style."
On the group's 1990 debut From This Day Forward, we're reminded that technical prowess and progressiveness is much more than top speed guitar noodling and non-stop poly-rhythmic blast beats, and rather than feeding us the same drivel that countless lesser bands have done over the years, we're treated to a tinkering, spacious take on the style.
From This Day Forward is presented in a concise format, but has an exceptionally wide embrace. Not particularly flashy, because it doesn't need to be. Instead it is just extremely well written, with hyperactive bass arpeggiations bringing the heat one moment, and white hot and thoughtful guitar play the next.
Though futuristic and clear cut, the album isn't completely immune to the wiles of a thrashy groove. Especially the drums are adventurous with their ever shifting tempos, and every existential throe is as engaging in body and spirit as the last.
The album should be legendary, and I know that in some circles it is, but it is damn near criminal how few people have heard Obliveon while yet lauding similar artists non-stop, deservedly or not. With bands that stylistically follow the same orbit as legendary groups from the same time, you must at the same time ask yourself if the album in question truly is up to snuff, and in my own humble opinion From This Day Forward really is an album that should be as much of a classic as The Key, Spiritual Healing or Unquestionable Presence.
From This Day Forward is presented in a concise format, but has an exceptionally wide embrace. Not particularly flashy, because it doesn't need to be. Instead it is just extremely well written, with hyperactive bass arpeggiations bringing the heat one moment, and white hot and thoughtful guitar play the next.
Though futuristic and clear cut, the album isn't completely immune to the wiles of a thrashy groove. Especially the drums are adventurous with their ever shifting tempos, and every existential throe is as engaging in body and spirit as the last.
The album should be legendary, and I know that in some circles it is, but it is damn near criminal how few people have heard Obliveon while yet lauding similar artists non-stop, deservedly or not. With bands that stylistically follow the same orbit as legendary groups from the same time, you must at the same time ask yourself if the album in question truly is up to snuff, and in my own humble opinion From This Day Forward really is an album that should be as much of a classic as The Key, Spiritual Healing or Unquestionable Presence.
8/10
Released in 1990 by Active Records
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