“Joyless figures, all perfectly dosed. All immersed, sullen and cold.”
Northampton metalcore unit OBEYER are the latest addition to Periphery-owned label 3DOT Recordings. Formed from the ashes of their former band, Lay Siege, the quintet have pivoted their sound in a significantly different direction. A combination of bleak, brooding atmospheres and sludge-laced djent riffs, OBEYER bring a refreshing, heavy presence to today’s metalcore scene. This apocalyptic sound is fully explored on their debut full-length, Chemical Well.
Opener “Witness” starts the album on a haunting note, immediately launching into an eerie ambience paired with pummeling grooves. Vocalist Carl Brown matches this intensity with menacing layered screams to match. The album mix, provided by Sam Bloor (Graphic Nature, Forlorn), is one that envelops your ears dynamically, while still giving each element space to breathe. From its ambient breaks to its crushing breakdowns, the track commands a presence.
This momentum is carried along on following track “A Momentary Death”. The sheer impact on display is undeniably impressive as it pushes the foreboding narrative of the album. The utilisation of dissonance is a logical addition to the gloominess. Switching up the rhythm at the end, the unapologetically djenty riff chugs the album to a close with an impressive brutality. Guitarist Jamie Steadman and bassist David Bartlett work together to create this ominous atmosphere, harmoniously combining eerie lead lines, hefty grooves and a myriad of other elements.
“Radiant” delivers a melodic twist amidst the heaviness with the latter half of its chorus, introducing clean vocals into the mix. It’s an effective method of switching up the sound of the album, while also not hinging on it to create the hook of the song. The track doesn’t stray too far from the overall sonic direction of the album, creating for a sense of cohesiveness.
On the other end. “All Sullen” takes the destructiveness to a new height, introducing an uncanny, almost urgent sounding ambience that only adds to the dire motifs of the record. Harmonic layered djent rhythms lead into a sinister blackened section, punctuated by blast beats from drummer Lewis Niven. The album ventures in and out of deathcore territory effortlessly, blended naturally into the sound. “Dripfed” follows in a similarly haunting manner, opening into an ominous, spacey atmosphere for the chorus. OBEYER do an impressive job at maintaining this gloomy, despair-filled atmosphere, blending rhythmic elements of progressive metal and the dark soundscapes of symphonic deathcore effectively.
“Brand New Damage” takes on a much more melody-focused direction than before. Beginning on gentle piano notes before descending into familiar heaviness, the track’s chord progressions and lead lines contrast in a more melancholic twist. The track leans more into the progressive metal influences present throughout the album, giving the spotlight to Steadman as his riffs have a more pronounced presence here.
Doom and sludge influences heavily guide the path of album closer “A Slow Shift to a Cold Shiver”. Starting off on familiar djenty soil, the track gradually builds the ambience as it slowly envelops the track. Deceptively pulling away, it progresses into a depressive wall of sound. From start to finish, the album spans various dimensions of bleakness in an intriguing manner, culminating in the most apocalyptic sounding track here.
Chemical Well is an album packed with details beyond its sludgy, djent-covered surface; an album experience that is best taken in on multiple listens. Its homogenous sound hardly gives way to repetitiveness, even with its repeated motifs, as it strives to create a cohesive narrative across the ten songs. Its subtle nuances and variety of influences creates for an album that flows impressively well, a difficult balancing act when pursuing a full-length of this continued intensity. On that note, it is rather refreshing to hear an album this unrelenting, striving against the trends of modern metalcore. OBEYER have presented an exciting debut offering here, and they will undoubtedly reach new heights as they continue to develop their sound.
8.5/10
Chemical Well will be released on the 15th of November through 3DOT Recordings. Merch and more information about the album can be found here.