The Pitch: A stellar, albeit familiar, melodic progressive death metal EP from California's talented The Odious Construct via The Artisan Era. FFO: The Black Dahlia Murder, Vale Of Pnath, The Zenith Passage
What I Like: This is amongst the most consistently entertaining 20 minutes of music I've heard this year. While there aren't any strikingly new ideas on display with Shrine of the Obscene, The Odious Construct don't waste second phoning in their performances. This is a band that has deeply studied the DNA of what makes melodic and progressive death metal great, and the science comes across in their insanely precise instrumentation and catchy songwriting. Every track on this album could serve equally as a lead single, perfectly balancing melodic hooks with technical proficiency. And beyond the already excellent guitarwork and drumming, the added synths really add that extra push over the cliff.
Critiques: There's little here that you haven't heard a thousand times before, but if you're like me and love this style that won't matter much.
The Verdict: Rock Solid. Definitely one of the best EP's of 2018 in terms of pure Enjoyability, and arguably among the top melodeath releases period. Shrine of the Obscene is a must listen for all death metal fans.
Flight's Fav's: Pick one.
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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