Review NE OBLIVISCARIS ‘Exul’

Australia’s extreme metallers NE Obliviscaris present with ‘Exul’ their latest work, which was created with a lot of uncertainties, imponderables and possibilities.

If you take a closer look at the record, you will notice that ‘Exul’ was recorded in a number of studios. If one considers the exceptional situation of the past years, this is also explainable.

The work on ‘Exul’ began in March 2020 when the band started recording the drums. This happened in Nashville, Tennesee and after their completion, drummer Daniel Presland managed to get back to Austrialia just before the upcoming lockdows. This luck was not granted to producer Mark Lewis, guitarist Benjamin Baret and bassist Martino Garattoni. The three had to stay in the USA for an indefinite period of time. In such a situation, the pressure was immense, which, among other things, led to Presland leaving the band in 2022.

The positive aspect, however, was, as with many other bands, that NE Obliviscaris could focus more intensively on their new songs, which led to further fine-tuning of some of the tracks. For example, ‘Graal’, whose violin-driven ending was originally conceived in a different way, has gained from being revisited.

NE Obliviscaris have created with ‘Exul’ a further record in which they combine different influences. This recording needs attention and can not be listened to just like that. The songs, some of which are more than 10 minutes in length, are too intricate and complex, with fast and extreme metal passages alternating with quiet, almost reflective moments, as in ‘Suspyre’. The sound of the violin plays an important role in this, as the instrument creates a certain darkness and melancholy, which is part of the basic theme of ‘Exul’.

Those who like complex progressive metal with extremes will feel at home with NE Obliviscaris and ‘Exul’.