PORTAL OF I

So for those of you who do not know who Ne Obliviscaris are, they are an upcoming Progressive Extreme Metal band from Australia who have been around since 2003. The name "Ne Obliviscaris" itself is a Latin phrase, which translates into "lest you forget". Before the release of their debut album which I'm about to talk about, they also released a demo EP in 2007, called The Aurora Veil, which featured early versions of three songs to be featured on the debut album, "Tapestry of the Starless Abstract", "Forget Not", and "As Icicles Fall". This caught the attention of many people from the progressive metal underground, and anticipation towards this release has steadily increased up to this point.

Now we at last get to hear their first fully-realized effort after five years of eager anticipation, with Portal of I. With this album, we see (and hear for that matter) the band venture forth into early Opeth and Yes territory with a short seven-song track listing and many of those songs exceeding the ten minute mark. Only two songs fall short of the ten minute mark, those being "Of The Leper Butterflies" (5:55) and "As Icicles Fall" (9:27), but by no means are they bad songs as a result.

The music contained within this album features a variety of different instruments, including keyboards, acoustic guitar, and even violin, something heard much more often in symphonic progressive rock, as opposed to progressive metal. Nonetheless, it is a welcome addition to the core sound of this album. Melodic singing, shrieking, and growling vocals are all implemented to convey the album's complex, philosophical themes and lyrics through each individual song. There is a heavy black metal aesthetic throughout the album, as high-pitched black metal tremolos are often played, but death and thrash metal influences are also on full display here. Despite these more "extreme" influences, progressive metal is the true calling card for these men, as they are able to use atmosphere and musical diversity to encapsulate the listener into the world Ne Obliviscaris has created.

"Lest you forget" to pick up this album, I highly recommend that everyone go out and show this upcoming band your support! An excellent start for a very promising career!