The process of belief. An undertaking to remain true to one's self without, looking sideways, yet trusting in one's ability to make things happen in a way paved years back, a part of a legacy in the molding. Since their formation, and I have been tracking some of their earlier works, the German pagan horde of OBSCURITY, unified under the banner of Viking Metal, have been musically honest, true to the steel they have been forging. For the past two decades they have been firing albums, the ancient battles and Scandinavian driven sights and feel visualized through a modernized observation of the human condition. Recently, via Trollzorn Records, which has been the band's home for some time, OBSCURITY unleashed their eighth album, "Streitmacht", the armed forces. The message appeared crystal clear, the approach and attitude right in your face, without further ornamentation or usage of cheap trends, when a vision is set, there is nothing that can stand in its way towards fulfillment.

The general feel of the band is of the AMON AMARTH vein, raising axes and shields, yet as looking deeper into the veil of the tunes, there are strong contemporary Black Metal and groove mannerism, taking the German warriors to the proximity of BLACK MESSIAH / WOLFCHANT / EINHERJER. Without hesitation or fear of being mundane in their songwriting style, the band has been tending to formulate a melodic pattern and stick to it throughout entire songs. That is at least mostly of what can be noticed from their material, including "Streitmacht". Nonetheless, their capacity to create such catchy outputs under the blackened Norse halo, conveyed partially by those hooking melodies, is no less than remarkable. In a sense, there is this tribal brotherhood, band of warriors' kind of inflaming Metallic battle that reigns the songs, portraying a constant struggle that is being explored throughout each of the album's songs.

"Hinrichtung" is passionately driven, delivering the extremity of the Norse lands as if originally conceived in the frost lands. In overall it sounded like an AMON AMARTH anthem with an extra bit of feistiness, tending those fine melodic tremolo riffages into the battlefield. "Meine Vergeltung" displays a modern Viking Metal mentality, assembling impressive groove to the side of the energetic melodies and blast beating mayhems. It is a well written song that could be easily a chant for any audience to follow. "Endzeit" is the essence of Swedish veined melodic Death Metal, a hymn for all to heed and embrace, a short trip to the mid-90s and right back into the warm fires of the modern theater of war. "Was Uns Bleib", certainly one of my favorites out of this one, decimates with sonic melodies of the Swedish brand, modish ferociously delivered grooves, ascertaining a cold hearted Folkish atmosphere that created a wonderful tune, a march into battle. As well I have to recommend "Non Serviam" and "Ehre den Gefallenen".

When Metal is all that counts, and as long as it doesn't replicate itself over and over, I don't really mind to sit back and enjoy the tunes. With "Streitmacht" I didn't need much convincing, it just went through me, upon its harshness and semi-storytelling. This band has been consistent all along, and it seemed to have paid out for them. Onwards to glory.