Their name illustrates the key principle that unites all of their songs into an expansive narrative of personal evolution through introspect, spiritual development and the incredible power of music. Obsidian is a pitch-black volcanic glass that is used traditionally to absorb negative energies, and encourage mental/spiritual clarity. Music is widely considered a universal language, and for band members Brendan James Hayter and Greg Murphy, their musical ritual is The Obsidian Tongue.
After 2 demos (2010 Demo and the 2011 Subradiant Architecture Demo), their debut album “Volume I: Subradiant Architecture” was recorded and mixed onto vintage tape machines in March 2012 at Mystic Valley Studio in Medford by Alex Garcia-Rivera. The sound is organic and raw, allowing the compositions to speak for themselves.
The record was graced with the artwork of Norwegian artist Namtaru, of “Namtaru Creations”. Her grayscale illustrations provide 3 key visuals to guide the listener through the musical journey. The connection between these 3 illustrations is left for the listener’s imagination to create.
Founding member and guitarist/vocalist Brendan James Hayter: “The first string of compositional attempts I made in the extreme metal style, naturally congealed into a 50 minute record named Volume I: Subradiant Architecture. These songs truly came together in a connected fashion, so it was only proper to call it a Volume. Furthermore, Subradiant Architecture is a term for the imaginary “Shadow World” that much of the music takes place in, the consistent closed-eye visuals this music has given me since I first began to explore it. It suggests that the gods designed and built this lightless realm in our psyche like a piece of architecture, for Man to explore the origins of his despair and draw wisdom and power from symbolic images. In this life such emotions as despair, anxiety, abhorrence for mankind, and the uncertainty of my fate both in this world and the next, have been my greatest guides. It is like a sense of duty to honor the evolution I have undergone through these chronic internal storms, and through the catharsis of extreme metal music.”
lyrics
After the fall from innocence,
I bade my remaining honor to an Unknown
Whirlwinds of unearthly screams
spoke the name I had before the descent.
Past life remembered
Past plight restored
The One Eye will behold life within the sorrow.
Ancient threads will stream between my sullen human eyes
Reborn now, and somehow, the sons and daughters of light
Will learn of my reprieve into the Heart of Night
“There is another plane on which the pentaform can be sustained
Won’t you follow me through the archway, and don your skin with the waters of banished lore?”
I cannot refuse
I cannot resist
The only way to honor my pain is following him
Grinding down the towers of primordial misery
Will the skeletal monolith be carried away by the eyes of my intention?
Will the whispering stones edify me to transform these bones to gold?
Wilting will becomes a gateway to ancient lands of tangled wood
Trees shaped like humans suffering: Honor to the moments that made us complete…
Is our weakness truly weak?
Is our collapse truly a Loss?
Crawling closer, through streams of tears and thorns of hate,
The Shadow of Man nears the mouth of the Cavern of Absolution
And shadows perform ceremony,
through our misery
We are instruments to the Invisible
Hypnotic Dirge Records is an independent record label and webshop based in Saskatchewan, Canada and Lisbon, Portugal active since 2008. Our intention and raison d'être is to release quality expressive and eclectic art through aural manifestations.
supported by 276 fans who also own “Into the Heart of Night”
Swirling guitars, furious drums, vocals that at the same time howl from infinite distance and are right up in your head; everything put into dissonant form with the help of unconventional songwriting. This album is my personal key to the icelanding black metal madness that I've ignored for way too long! Lukas Kaufmann
supported by 268 fans who also own “Into the Heart of Night”
After listening to Ysyry Mollvün, listening to Downfall of Nur was urgent and turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made in quite some time: Umbras de Barbagia is simply magisterial; the atmosphere can hardly be compared to anything else. There is a deep, palpable connection to nature imbueing each very fibre of this record. The amalgamation of black metal and folk elements is done with a high intuition for detail and class, resulting in a highly immersive experience. Wonderful. David Fischer