Band: Obtest
Title: Gyvybés Medis
Label: Osmose Productions
Distribution: Rough Trade Benelux.
Release date: March 2009
Review: CD

The Baltic countries have always been of extremely high importance within the Pagan-oriented (Black) Metal scene. What’s more, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia have always brought a nice concurrence against the (especially) Scandinavian hegemony.
Obtest are probably one of the most important names nowadays. The band was formed more than fifteen year ago (!), but it wasn’t until 2007 that the band seemed to ‘break through’ outside their home country, Lithuania. Back then, the band performed for the first time in the U.S. at the Heathen Crusade festival (Minnesota), and on some major festivals in their home country and others, like Czechia (10,000 visitors) and Estonia.
That very same year, the band also started recording their newest full length at the famous Polish Hertz Studio, especially known for its work with Polish (Dies Irae, Shadows Land, Crionics, Dissenter, Deivos etc) and Belgian (Suhrim, Emeth, The Reckoning) bands. And finally, Obtest were able to sign to the great yet underestimated French Death / Black-label Osmose.
The result of these recording sessions, called Gyvybés Medis (translation: tree of life), lasts for 43:12 minutes and is a lot stronger (read: mature and professional) than the former album(s), yet also more intense and fearless. Obtest’s Heathen Metal is closer related to Black Metal than on Is Kartos I Karta (review still available on the site), the tracks are heavier and faster, and the sound is more ‘complete’. The Pagan-atmosphere can be found back within the lyrics too, which are, by the way, completely in their mother tongue, and which deal with heathen, historical and mythological subjects, the members’ world vision, and their personal feelings, thoughts and experiences in relation to these themes. And in a way you can feel this personal / emotional injection through the epic yet introspective approach.
Highly recommended to fans of Baltic Pagan (Black) Metal!

80/100

Ivan Tibos.