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OBTEST (Lit): "Is Kartos i Karta" CD
(Ledo Takas)
It has been an unusually long interval between albums for this band, but it is clear they have not lost their touch. Although this new installment is perphaps slightly folkier than its predecessor, OBTEST retain the integrity of their melodic Black Metal sound and do not attempt to become another HA LELA or ZPOAN VTENS (good as the latter bands might be). With the present effort we have nine polished tracks that stick to an unchanging but nevertheless effective formula: all of the songs progress at more or less the same pace and adopt a multiple-guitar strategy, whereby the two rhythm guitars have the main melody highlighted by a third one, streaming fluid and brilliant leadwork. It is here where the album works, for the leadwork is inspired, catchy, and lends each song its own individual identity, where it would have been quite easy for the similarity in pace and construction to have ended up blurring said songs into one another. The vocalist also makes a positive contribution, delivering the lyrics with personality and a great sense of rhythm. Both production and execution are clean and well-suited to the material, and these are matched by very professional-looking artwork. The debut was certainly good, but to my mind this one succeeds in making the band more distinctive by introducing an obviously Mediaeval Baltic flavour. To the unintroduced it seems appropriate to describe this as OLD MAN'S CHILD's "Ill-Natured Spiritual Invasion" (similar quality), except with a Lithuanian feel and more folky. Reviewed by AK-47.
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