POINT OF INFINITY

There are a LOT of progressive death metal bands making albums each year. It's actually almost a headache-inducing number. No human being can possibly listen to every one of these such albums, so making a successful album in this crowded genre can be quite a challenge. Dutch prog death metal quintet Obsidian's newest release falls into the category of "worth hearing, but non-essential". Point of Infinity is a very competent album, but doesn't do much to stand out in the genre. This has most of the genre cliches and typical sound characteristics, but these guys still manage to make an album that's highly enjoyable. Though this is by no means essential, it comes recommended to fans of modern prog death metal.

The music played on Point of Infinity is progressive death metal, with more of an emphasis on technicality. The main influence I hear on the album is Meshuggah, although there are also distinct Opeth and Edge of Sanity influences in the more melodic sections. The music is generally strong, and I enjoy the entire the album during the entire 45 minute duration. The album rarely reaches the excellent mark, but the entire album is consistent and enjoyable. Songs like Tidal Waves, Point of Infinity, and the instrumental Spectral Pathways are especially noteworthy. One of the best things about Point of Infinity, however, is the very impressive musicianship. This is a highly proficient group who never sacrifices melody for technicality. Every musician in Obsidian is a joy to listen to.

The production is raw, but very fitting for the music. A little bit more polish may have been nice, but Point of Infinity still sounds great in its current state.

Conclusion:

If you like progressive death metal, and aren't looking for anything incredibly original, this is a solid album worth checking out. Since Point of Infinity isn't too far above average, I'm going to go with 3 stars on this album. If Obsidian can develop a more original sound in the future, I could see them becoming a leading modern progressive death metal act. They definitely have the chops to be with the best of the best.

The music on the album is technically well played death metal with progressive leanings. The vocals vary between growls/ harsh vocals and clean type vocals. Acts like Meshuggah and especially Textures come to mind albeit with a death metal edge. The riffing is angular and at times odd-metered but generally simpler than the riffing by the above mentioned acts. The musicianship is on a very high level and the production is also of good quality and that´s some of the greatest assets of the album.

While the description above sounds like this is the kind of album that I would really enjoy, there are a couple of issues, that prevents me from fully enjoying Point of Infinity. First of all Robbe Kok isn´t the most interesting singer and especially his clean vocals leave much to be desired, so there´s an issue with the vocals ( and the vocal lines) if you ask me. The quality of songwriting isn´t really on par with the output of the best acts who play similar music either and overall the album unfortunately comes off a bit mediocre and maybe even worse lacking memorable moments. A 2.5 - 3 star rating is warranted.