Obscurcis Romancia
“Theatre Of Deception”
2012
Obscurcis Romancia is a symphonic black metal band haling from Quebec, Canada. I must admit, when I saw that, I did not hold out much hope for this band. I mean, black metal, from North America. It must be a joke. Oh how wrong I was. Obscurcis Romancia formed in 1998. The band put out a demo in 2001 and an EP in 2002. Now after a ten-year wait we get this Canadian bands first full-length album called Theater of Deception and holy fuck was this worth the wait. This is hands down, by far, the absolute best symphonic black metal album I have ever heard. Obscurcis Romancia have crafted a record that is set to challenge the very best that bands like Dimmu Borgir have to offer. I am in awe. The whole thing starts with a ten-minute long song that perfectly sets the mood for the voyage Obscurcis Romancia is about to take you on. The song is called Awakening in Spiritual Madness. It starts by slowly building dark atmosphere. Then the synth heavy, head banging chug starts. The song dissolves into catchy guitar riffs and keyboards that sound like this band is truly backed by a symphony. With brilliant song writing throughout this whole album the whole thing stays fresh and interesting the entire time. Some songs like Beware the Moon are a little more straight forward black metal songs. Others like In Memoriam are wonderful examples of just how clever these guys are at writing songs. And some like Seasons Of Infinite Snow are perfect combinations of both styles. This album it thick with black metal atmosphere, but it is a little different. There is pain and sorrow here, but also, with up beat music, almost a sense of hope. Theater Of Deception is the greatest symphonic black metal album I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. If you are a fan of metal get this album. If you are not a fan of metal, and you want to see what all the fuss is about, get this album. This is the best of the best. Dimmu Borgir may be the uncontested king of this genre, but Obscurcis Romancia is here to show ‘em how it’s done.
Tracklist:
1. Awakening in Spiritual Madness
2. Beware the Moon
3. Sanctuaire damne
4. Le quatrieme acte
5. Mournful Darkness
6. From Within the Fire of Eternity
7. In Memoriam
8. Seasons of Infinite Sorrow
https://www.facebook.com/obscurcis
Members:
Remi Vallieres – Bass
Jean Rufiange – Drums
Pascal Lechasseur – Keyboards
Frederic Le – Lead Guitars
Stephane Breton – Rhythm Guitars
Francis Tremblay – Vocals
Rating: 10 out of 10
~Kris