Ne Obliviscaris is an Australian progressive metal band formed in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia. The band is composed of vocalist Marc Campbell, guitarists Benjamin Baret and Matt Klavins, bassist Gareth Hargreaves, violinist Tim Charles, and drummer Daniel Presland.
Ne Obliviscaris has released three full-length albums and three EPs, currently preparing to release their newest studio offering, ‘Exul’ on March 24th, via Season of Mist.
Since their presentation in the metal scene, they have become one of the most revered progressive metal bands in the world. The band’s music is characterized by a combination of various metal subgenres, classical music, progressive, ambient, and avant-garde elements, as well as the use of both clean and harsh vocals. Ne Obliviscaris has received widespread critical acclaim throughout their career and has gained notoriety among metal fans around the world.
The band’s debut full-length album, ‘Portal of I,’ was released on May 7th, 2012, via Code666 Records, and it quickly became one of the decade’s most critically acclaimed progressive metal albums. The album was recorded in Melbourne, Australia, and features seven tracks of intense and epic metal music.
The album begins with the twenty minutes long ‘Tapestry of the Starless Abstract,’ an intense track that immediately grabs the listener’s attention with its frenzied riffing, blast beats, and harsh vocals.
‘Xenoflux’ follows, a track that showcases the band’s ability to blend extreme metal with classical music and progressive elements, while the next two tracks, ‘Of the Leper Butterflies’ and ‘Forget Not,’ are more melodic, with the latter featuring some of the most beautiful clean vocals on the album.
The middle of the album features two of the most ambitious tracks on the album, ‘And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope’ and ‘As Icicles Fall,’ which showcase the band’s ability to create epic, cinematic soundscapes. The album ends with ‘Of Petrichor Weaves Black Noise,’ which features punishing riffs and relentless blast beats.
‘Portal of I’ is an impressive debut album that showcases Ne Obliviscaris’ ability to blend extreme metal with progressive, classical, and ambient elements, even with a jazzy vibe here and there.
It was followed by their second album, ‘Citadel,’ released two years later on November 7th, 2014, this time through Season of Mist. ‘Citadel’ marked a shift in the band’s sound as they moved away from their earlier focus on technicality and toward a more atmospheric and melodic approach.
The album begins with ‘Painters of the Tempest (Part I): Wyrmholes,’ a stunning track with intense riffs, lush instrumentation, and stunning clean vocals. The next track, ‘Painters of the Tempest (Part I): Triptych Lux,’ is a crushing piece of metal that showcases the band’s technical prowess.
The following tracks, ‘Painters of the Tempest (Part III): Reveries from the Stained Glass Womb’ and ‘Pyrrhic,’ are highlights of the album, with both featuring mesmerizing melodies and soaring clean vocals.
The album ends with two of the most intense tracks, ‘Devour Me, Colossus (Part I): Blackholes’ and ‘Devour Me, Colossus (Part II): Contortions,’ both of which feature punishing riffs and relentless blast beats.
‘Citadel’ was highly acclaimed and was featured in numerous magazine and website lists as one of the best metal albums of the year.
Ne Obliviscaris’ third album, ‘Urn,’ was released on October 27th, 2017, via Season of Mist, and it continues their tradition of blending extreme metal with progressive and classical elements. The album features six tracks of intense and epic metal music.
The album begins with ‘Libera Part I: Saturnine Spheres,’ an epic track that immediately grabs the listener’s attention with its frenzied riffing, blasts beats, and harsh vocals. As the album evolves, Ne Obliviscaris sounds more melodic, featuring some of the most beautiful clean vocals throughout the album.
Recently, Ne Obliviscaris have announced their upcoming fourth album, ‘Exul,’ which is set to be released on March 24th via Season of Mist by releasing a statement announcing the new album, saying that it is “a collection of emotionally driven and conceptually charged music that touches on themes of pain, loss, and resilience.”
‘Exul’ marks the band’s first full-length release since 2017’s ‘Urn’ and will feature a number of different musical styles, including black metal, classical, and progressive metal. The band has also announced a handful of tour dates in support of the new album.
The new album also features a guest appearance from violinist Rachel Hall, who has worked with the band on previous albums. Ne Obliviscaris have been praised for their ambitious and creative musical style, and fans are sure to be excited about the band’s upcoming release.
Apart from this, Ne Obliviscaris also premiered their new single ‘Graal,’ which has since become one of the band’s most popular songs.
‘Graal’ was released on January 24th and has since gone viral, with fans all over the world sharing it on social media. The video storyline focuses on the relationship between a father and daughter and the concept of mortality.
The band has achieved an enormous amount of success over the years and is an inspiration for many aspiring musicians around the world, and they continue to break boundaries and push the envelope, creating some of the most unique and progressive metal music the world has ever seen.
‘Exul’ will be released on March 24th and can be pre-ordered now. As for their newest video single, it can be viewed and heard below.
