Symphonic extreme metal from Austria, Obsididan Chamber, should be a bigger name out there. The music is extremely well done, and this band has been going since 2003. But for me, Ein Platz am Kamin has the best Line-up. The music is Symphonic Black/Death Metal, and no, you can't compare with SepticFlesh, Dimmu Borgir, Fleshgod Apocalypse. Maybe a hint of Cradle Of Filth, but with a much better singer in Obsidian Chamber. And this band takes the symphonic classic music to another level in metal. It does sometimes make you think, is the metal music ,a layer to the classic music. The orchestral music, is not really what you normally hear in an extreme metal band. It's way deeper and more serious layer. I think that Jürgen Klier has more experience from classic music, then the most metal musician. I do not have the Vinyl album when I write this, this kind of music should be played on a vinyl player, but it will come, there is a limited production of vinyls album, and I must have one.

The first track  called "Intro" is an instrumental track to get you in the right mood. Berlioz and Tchaikovsky come to mind, heavy, and bombastic. It really makes way for the title track on the album, "Ein Platz am Kamin". A very fast-paced track, makes you think of death metal, but this band uses a lot of gothic influences in their music. The new vocalist and singer, yes, Michael Kaiser can go really harsh with his voice, and then shift to an amazing clean singing, and sing in the most beautiful way. The music twist and turn, and the orchestral arrangement are on an own level. What hit me most, is all the emotions that this track have. How everything is so connected. It's impossible to cover up all tracks. But "Zausel" is another track that get your attention, open up with piano, and almost get that Schubert - Serenade feeling, and this track is a perfect example of what I mean, when I say that the metal music work as a layer, to a classic music arrangement. Michael Kaiser open up with such a perfect singing, and his range is amazing, another thing you will notice is how clean he sings the words, it sounds like he has been practicing Bel canto opera singing, the articulation is so clean, And this track, has harsh vocal, and is heavy, and the guitar solo makes it even more beautiful.

Obsidian Chamber is a lot about emotions, and I don't know how they do it, the whole album is like pure art. "Der beste Kebap der Stadt" is a very special track, Middle East music, and some really brutal extreme metal, and a bit growl here. Obsidian Chamber write the lyrics are in German langue, I can't understand everything, but they have their own kind of black humor, and has a bit of morbid turns. Macabre comes to mind there. "Es ging ein Maidlein zarte" is a lesson, in pure classic music, Michael Kaiser is joined by a female singer here, Tatjana Gonzáles. Has a Wagner feeling, even if the song is written by Johannes Brahms. The orchestral arrangement by Jürgen Klier is far away from the romantic piano that Brahms, used for this dark track. But this is a Symphonic Black/Death Metal band and the track "Die Grube" is raw, one of the fastest track on the album. And I really like it. " Stockmeister" is another wild track, and goes in directions that, you really don't expect, it is a raw track, a wild track and when the orchestral arrangements come, you have that beauty again. The last track "Extro" is an outro like Mussorgsky - Night on Bald Mountain, haunted heavy and dark. There are 3 more bonus tracks "Dark Filthy Me" from the album Der Gesang der Fliegen (2010), "Heaven's Damnation" from the album The Advent of Plague (2006), and "Begierde" from the album Der Uhrwerkmann (2013). Those 3 tracks is a fast track to the history of Obsidian Chamber. Listen and enjoy.