This band came out of nowhere with one solid uppercut to my face—I seriously expected this band to be some long lost ultra-underground sensation with a dozen albums under their belt.  Imagine my surprise that, after picking my jaw up off the floor from listening to this amazing album, that "Within The Depths of Oblivion," is ONTBORG's FIRST ALBUM.  To me this album is up there with new albums by HALLS OF OBLIVION and BLACK THERAPY for some of the best Melodic Death Metal of this year (so far).  This four-piece Italian band really knows how to lay down a nice old school Death Metal feel with classic melodies and harmonies that really allow each song to stand out.

"Living Is A Torture" begins the album with a very high quality track that wouldn't sound out of place on a modern AT THE GATES album.  The crisp, fast drumming backs up the frantic yet heavy guitar and bass that a has a laser focus of wanting to supply melodies but also wanting to cave in your face.  Lukas's vocals are a nicely done Death Metal scream/shout that mixes well with his own guitar playing and that of the other guitarist, Florian.  Both men have a penchant for quick thinking, switching quickly between Death Metal and more melodic moments, and often times down right head banging inducing madness. The last minute of this opening track is a banger and the biggest case against people who think MDM is too "happy" or "light" sounding.

The album isn't afraid to inject some variety into the songs. Clean passages and a melodic solo fill the senses for the third track, "Entwined In Darkness."  This leads to something of an intro to the song, as the vocals don't come until about a minute and a half in.  The Death screams here contained a tinge of sorrow to them, lending a sense of melancholy to the song as a whole. The ending of the song is so emotional and heartfelt, I can tell each member gave their all for this album.

"Die To Be Alive," throws together furious drums and searing riffs to create an atmosphere that is as related to Melodic Black Metal as anything, and the raw nature of the song really works well for the band, as it allows them to play around with a different approach but still throw in ample melody. "Snow of Lethe," is a seven and a half minute tour de force, with the beginning and end capped by stellar instrumental prowess, leaving the middle reserved for face melting MDM and some more energetic Death screams.  This track feels like a song within a song but never comes off as forced-every piece flows together with ease.  I do wish more of the songs had as much depth as this track does—they handle longer songs quite well and this album is a rare case of me wanting to hear more, more, more.

A surprisingly sinister riff runs through "No Memories Beyond."  This track is more harrowing than the ones before due to the clever use of melody during the chorus to enhance the darkness instead of casting light. I really hope ONTBORG stays around because Melodic Death Metal needs more bands like this to carry the sub-genre into what seems to be a very bright future.