Band: Obscurity
Title: Tenkterra
Label: Trollzorn
Distribution: Metal Revelation
Release date: November 12th 2010
Review: CD

It isn’t the most original moniker, ‘obscurity’, but this German band was one of the first to use it. Initially the formation was formed in 1997 and that very same year, the quintet recorded a first demo, The Rebirth Of The Dark Empire, in 1999 followed by a second one (Christian Decay). The ‘break-through’ happened in 2000, when Obscurity recorded their debut album, Bergisch Land, which did put this band’s moniker pretty high on the international Metal map. Then the band underwent some ups and downs (but, at the same time, just one line-up change, if I’m not mistaken?), yet also the new albums were received with lots of enthusiasm by both audience and press: Thurisaz (2004), Schlachten & Legenden (2007) and Várar (2009).

The new album is called Tenkterra, which is a combination of ‘tenkterer’ and ‘terra’. The Tenkterer or Tencteri were a rather unknown German tribe, closely related to the Usepites (better known, I guess), that lived close to the Rhine more than 2,000 years ago. However, they weren’t that successful, unfortunately, and both tribes (Tencteri and Usipi) were driven away several times, first by some concurring tribes, then, finally, by Julius Caesar’s armies. The other part of the album’s title, ‘terra’ is Latin, as you probably might know, for ‘earth’.
Lyrically, Tenkterra deals with the time between 200 B.C. and 800 A.D., so it does not just deal with the Tencteri-tribe, yet also with different Celtic and Germanic events, the battle against the Roman Empire, and the (sad / pathetic / infantile) Christianization of North-Western Europe. It isn’t new for Obscurity, because the Bergisch Land has been used before in their lyrical concept. The Bergisch Land is a region in the west of Germany with historical places like Solingen, Leverkusen and Wuppertal, between the rivers Rhine, Ruhr and Sieg.
Enough education…

Agalaz (v), Ziu (b), Dornaz (g), Arganar (d) and Cortez (g) recorded a worthy successor on Várar. The album does not differ that much, as a matter of fact, which means: rhythmic, powerful and epic Pagan / Black Metal, not of the folksy kind, yet with a strongly Viking / Thrash / Heavy-inspired approach. The pounding riffs and pushing rhythm section go well with the brutal blackened growls, and the addition of acoustic passages may not be that original; they are composed at the right moment, and performed with grandeur. The album also includes elements from Death Metal, even though it isn’t but supplementary, yet nicely mixed within the whole.
No, Tenkterra does not sound renewing at all, not one single moment. The individual hymns, yet also the totality, completely lack of any form of waw-effect; surprises appear only sporadically. In contradiction to this minor element, the satisfying performance quality needs being mentioned. But in spite of great hymn writing, I do certainly miss something that could have lifted this album up above the overcrowding within this scene. Musically, of course, because lyrically (see higher) this band’s concept is more than unique. And I think that the album gets better and better towards the end as well. The second part is much more convincing and much heavier too.
And I do also need to mention the progress, no, sorry, I’m exaggerating… Várar was the best Obscurity-album to date, yet it does not count anymore; Tenkterra is stronger (read: more mature and more professionally registered), so if you did like any former release, or if you’re into firm and melodic Pagan-alike Black stuff, then…

Oh yes, one more remark: luckily the lyrics aren’t in English, not only because the German tongue is more appropriate in this case, yet the English pronunciation by Agalaz, well, let’s say it does put a smile on my face…

81/100

Ivan Tibos.