NAILED TO OBSCURITY formed in Germany in 2005, and took their moniker from a track on the band HATE ETERNAL's debut album. A Melodic Doom/Death band, "King Delusion" is their third full-length release, coming out in early 2017. The album contains eight tracks. From their Bandcamp page, the following description is provided on the theme of the album: "The daily look in the mirror shows a reproduction of reality. But what if it is experience in a completely different way and you slowly lose yourself? Then, the risk rises to become a victim of "King Delusion." The album sends the listener on a journey through emotional abysses, but they also open pondering views into the innermost.

The title track leads off the album. Heavy, plodding instrumentation leads the slow-paced monster forward. Murky, dark and ominous, the picture you see in the mirror is indeed not how you feel inside. "Protean" has a similar lumbering pace, perfect for this style of music. The bass thuds can be felt shaking the ground beneath you, while the combination of clean and harsh vocals paint a dualistic picture of wonder and despair. The dark matter energy transferred to you from this track could be enough to collapse a star. The two-minute instrumental "Apnoea" speaks volumes without so much as a singular change in the riff. The chord progressions and drawn out notes are what make it so haunting.

"Deadening" is a beautifully depressing song. The acoustic guitars and whispered vocals are downtrodden, and when the harsh vocals and full instrumentation join the fold, the Doom is full on. The glittering lead guitar strokes in the beginning of "Memento" sound like they come from a different dimension. Soft, doomy elements swirl in the background, and the harsh vocals cut through you like a hot knife through butter. "Uncage My Sanity" is a twelve minute, emotionally powerful movement. Several interconnected passages that vary in their sound make it a diverse offering that soothes your soul while attacking your insecurities at the same time. "Devoid" has a more traditional guitar structure, and there is an increased focus here on melody as the main feature. The Death and Doom elements are still omnipresent but the combination of the two makes for a really great track. The interlude about half way through is simply gorgeous.

"Desolate Ruin" closes the album, and what a fitting title that is. If you can imagine something worse than a desolate ruin, you've got quite the blackened soul. "King Delusion" is an outstanding album in this genre. It has fervor and spirit, a demonstrative integrity and emotionally charged passages that take you on a rollercoaster ride of feelings, enough to give one an existential crisis.