Review by Alain on April 21, 2020.

Founded ten years ago in the US, Obsidian Tongue was initially one of those common one-man black metal bands, whose only member was the founder Brendan Hayter, currently involved also in other projects, all of them related to the extreme metal scene. The most notorious one is the excellent Canadian band Thrawsunblat, a folk infused melodic black metal ensemble, which is a quite interesting project. Going back to Obsidian Tongue, the project rapidly became a two-man band with the incorporation of a drummer. With an established line-up, the duo debuted with a decent first album, which was rapidly improved by the subsequent works, like the sophomore A Nest of Ravens in the Throat of Time or the split Northeastern Hymns. This improvement caught the attention of the quite respected label Bindrune Recordings, which took the decision of releasing the Obsidian Tongue's future works.

2020 will be the year when Obsidian Tongue’s new work will sees the light of the day. The new opus is entitled Volume III and, as it happens with the third album, this work should confirm whether the band has or not a promising future. Obsidian Tongue plays a guitar based atmospheric black metal with some quiet and intimate interludes, creating an interesting contrast with the most aggressive sections. For instance, the album opener 'Anathk' is a pretty clear example of what the band can offer. This track, being the longest one, has indeed enough room to flow quite naturally between the blackest metal parts, with the expected aggressive vocals, being sometimes accompanied by some clean melancholic ones, and the calmest sections. Those calmer sections have an introspective nature and they are like a bridge between the black metalesque sections. I find these serene sections quite interesting as they are tastefully done with very nice melodies. As for the guitars in the typically black metal parts, they are clearly less melodic as they fluctuate between more dissonant and aggressive chords and a trance inducing riffs, which I think are the most interesting ones. This contrast is clearly perceived in shorter songs like 'Poison Greem Dream', which delivers both sorts of riffage. Furthermore, these songs, though being shorter, have also room for the aforementioned clean vocals, which at first I didn't like that much, but which I dig more as I listen to the album more times. Although musically speaking long songs like the album opener or 'Empath' let the band introduce more serene and hypnotic parts, which is always nice, the shorter compositions have also interesting elements. Their immediacy and straightforward strength is always a necessary element to create a balanced album.

In conclusion, Volume III is a good album and though I couldn't consider it a groundbreaking record, it has enough interesting elements and quality in the compositions, to make it interesting. Any fan of atmospheric black metal or this sort of modern black metal made in the US will find absorbing elements in this record, which will make them enjoy the album.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on December 10, 2023.

I was in Denmark in April/May 2005 and, naturally, I visited the memorial place “Düppeler Schanzen”, to use the German name. In April 1864, Prussian troops stormed this bulwark and gained the crucial victory in the Prussian (Austrian) / Danish war. Hard to believe, but back in the 19th century, German soldiers were able to win their wars. Ildskær from Denmark dedicate their second full-length to the bloody conflict from 1864 and they do it with style. Just like their debut, Blod & Jern is ornamented with a fantastic, contemporary artwork, painted by the German artist Wilhelm Camphausen who lived from 1816 till 1885. The booklet gives a short introduction to the historical scenario, the vinyl (red with black splashes) looks great. No doubt, these two guys from Denmark have style.

What they unfortunately do not have is a proper production. To a certain degree, Blod & Jern suffers from its dull and undifferentiated mix. One can get used to it, but it is a pity that the songs do not appear in a brighter light. Additionally, the production is not well balanced. The raw vocals (with a lot of reverb on it) almost vanish in the sound collage that the instruments create. It would be too much to say that the production castrates the actually intense songs, but I hope this promising duo will reach a better sound level when it comes to the next album. Thank God, the production is not bad enough to ruin the entire album, by far not. I am just not able to ignore the somehow stale aftertaste.

The song material does not show significant differences to their debut or their EP. Each and every song gets enough time to implement its atmosphere sustainably. Opulent designs obviously important for Ildskær. This cannot be said of breaks. The Danish historians prefer an undisturbed flow. This does not mean that they have no ideas to structure their songs in an interesting way, but they avoid abrupt changes. Either way, they like to work with different tempos, keyboards gain the upper hand from time to time (without hurting the black metal vibes) and sometimes the primal power of the songs successfully defies the weak technical realisation.

There is no downer among the five long tracks and 'Ærens Mark' is a very good example, but not the only one, for the strength that Ildskær can create. The band does not concentrate on brutality, but the guys produce a remarkable musical and atmospheric density. Sometimes they use the keyboards almost like Graveland, but this is not the main influence here. Instead, the fact that they did not readjust their style makes me think again of the scene in Quebec, where a lot of bands follow a similar approach. It is a self-confident, but never complacent way of proceeding. And with the historical concept in front of my inner eye, I feel the dramatic touch in the art of the duo. Thus, Ildskær have found a very individual niche. If they take care for a better production, their next album can be a really great one.

Rating: 7.2 out of 10