Obliveon “Carnivore Mothermouth” (1999)

One of the most underrated extreme metal outfits of all time, this band’s swan-song was a genre defining work that put most other bands of this ilk to shame.

This, along with Ministry’s Psalm 69, SYL’s City and Red Harvest’s Cold Dark Matter, pretty much is the standard for cyber metal, though being very different from them. Imagine the perfect cyber thrash outfit, forgoing the generic chugga chugga, cheap synth tweaks and basic nu-metallish tendencies of most ‘industrial’ metal outfits for a maturity born from a more musically proficient background, with layers of intricacy providing a cohesive and dark listening experience.

The sound is a mix of cutting-edge heavy thrash with plenty of stop-start riffing and dissonant chords (ala Killing Joke) splashed here and there, eerie sounding electronica (without resorting to clich és) and a mix of extremely powerful gothic vocals and more typical thrash growls/rasps. The end result is a unique sonic signature that deserves to be heard by any and all fans of 21st century extreme metal. The best thing about the album is that all the songs here show prowess to pen addictive and catchy tunes without comprising or simplifying the sound one iota.

Highlights include “Devil In My Eyes”, which will raise your hair ends, the horn-worthy “Technicarnivore Motormouth” and as well as the jittering “Such a Quite River”, all featuring a cohesive mix of apocalyptic doomy sounding riffery (imagine Neurosis riffs in Cyber Thrash context!!!) and industrial power and grooving metal.

By the time “D ésert Incorporel” rolls over your stunned corpse, it is all over too quickly you cannot help but move one undead cybernautic finger to the replay button.

This basically takes everything from their last release “Cybervoid” to perfection. The magic permeating the entire record’s proceedings is just unbelievable. Honestly, to this day I still look for a band capable of coming close to this sound. I sometimes wonder where they could have taken this band’s concept if they hadn’t disbanded at their prime.

-Suleiman

VITALS:

Release:  1999
Label:  Hypnotic Records
Avantgenre:  Industrial Cyber Dark Thrash Metal
Duration:  39:26
Origin:  Canada
Official site:  http://www.myspace.com/obliveonmusic
Review online since:  27.09.2007 / 09:03:29

TRACKLIST:

01. Technocarnivore Mothermouth
02. Love, Die, Resurrect
03. Such A Quiet River
04. Devil In My Eyes
05. Coercive Currents
06. Polarity
07. Vectors
08. Glass Made Of Flesh
09. Fatal Induction
10. Desert Incorporel

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