Obnoxious is the second full length album from Porto, Portugal band Colosso. The album focuses on "the extreme void of society," "a black hole created by ego, profit and chaos." It's an increasingly relavent topic given our current climate of heightened violence, intolerance, and terrorism. In an election year where none of the candidates possess even a shred of integrity, the word "Obnoxious " doesn't even begin to describe it. But letting the music do the talking, this dark pit of depravity covers the aesthetic quite well.
I am feeling a strong Living Sacrifice vibe from this band, particularly during their peak years recording The Hammering Process. Colosso possess a similar groove to their death metal riffs complimented by the machine-like drumming of Marcelo Aires. This is especially apparent on darker, slower moments as with "Of Hollow Arrangements." But there are other influences as well. The follow-up track, "As Resonance," is in almost complete polar opposition; ramping up the speed for Florida death metal meets Meshuggah and beyond. Killer bass interlude on this one as well. I want to live inside that clunky tone.
As the record wears on, we are treated to a variety of sounds, from semi-electronic interludes to straight-forward aggressive fare like "Sentience." There is a level of consistency holding it all together, but the group never lets this stop them from doing a little experimentation from track to track. And no matter what the band happens to be doing at any given moment, they do it well. Riffs are always infectious and crunchier than a bowl of Cap'n Crunch. Except Obnoxious won't just cut the roof of your mouth; it goes for the jugular.
If you like dark, dense atmosphere, spiraling guitar and bass groove, and pounding tribal drumming; you're going to enjoy Colosso. Even though I've heard many of these ideas before, there is a certain freshness to their sound. Rather than analyze exactly where it comes from, I'm content to just enjoy the tunes. Between that, their technical proficiency, and the simple pleasures induced by listening; I am confident that with the right support these guys could go far. They definitely have a certain mainstream appeal, and that is without dumbing down their sound. Obnoxious is out today, so check it out below.
Album Stream: http://music.colossometal.com/
