Scouring Bandcamp for something that raises an eyebrow is always a fun search if you’re someone like me who will just pick a random direction to search in hoping for something good, and it’s always incredibly rewarding when you find something interesting. I was feeling a little bit of funeral doom tonight so that’s what I set out for, and upon my search, I had discovered a few. But, it was Obolus’s eponymous work that stood out the most to me, and I still can’t get enough of it.

Although not the strictest definition of funeral doom, the form in which Obolus shapes the style into for this three-track mammoth album is just as interesting as its normal state if not more so. Each track gets longer as you go further into the release, and Obolus uses that to great advantage as every song is a terrific example of build-up and suspense. They’re all laid forth methodically to both draw the listener in to later explode right in your face with uncharacteristic speed, a satisfying heaviness that varies throughout the whole album, and a great sense of musicianship on top of that which all comes together gloriously seemingly without effort. Obolus doesn’t do a whole lot to stand out from the rest of the competition but it’s still with the unique flavors that they spread throughout their material that you easily get reeled into what’s been done here such that you feel compelled to check it all out as the nearly 37-minute album lurches forward without hesitation. It’s very much an album that may not seem like a lot on the surface, but Obolus has succeeded in putting so much underneath the surface with this work that as soon as you uncover it, the work becomes so much more interesting and satisfying to where you can’t help but constantly sink your teeth into it.

In every way, this work is something that this act should be undeniably proud of it every form and I really do hope that a follow-up comes to us sooner rather than later. A humble release but still powerful in many different ways, Obolus could very well have a great future in the underground should they continue down this path, and I hope to be there when it happens.

LISTEN to “Obolus” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Obolus on Facebook here.