Obsidian Tongue - Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn

Angry Metal Guy 60

I felt a brief surge of excitement when I saw we had received the new Obsidian Tongue album to review in late April. Maybe I subconsciously remember Carcharodon‘s positive review of the aptly-titled Volume III, or maybe I was just in a black metal mood at the time, but I made note of the discovery either way. I was sure the aforementioned shark-man would be writing these words instead of me, but life is funny sometimes, and here I am. Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn is the fourth full-length release from the US-based black metal outfit. Previously, they’ve explored ambient, folky, and darkened themes; more recently, I came across two members reviewing the latest Namebearer. With so many possible directions and themes to explore, where do Obsidian Tongue land with this one?

Your first impression of Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn may well match mine—that of a modern black metal outfit trying to evoke a raw, dated sound¹ through fuzzy production and standard genre tropes. I’m not convinced this impression is wrong, but it’s hardly the full story either; Obsidian Tongue are thoughtful composers and have plenty of tricks up their sleeves to keep Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn engaging across its forty minutes. Guitarist Brendan Hayter (also the vocalist) (Thrawsunblat, Namebearer, Blood Chariot) riffs, tremolos, and picks his way through a surprising variety of black metal compositions (given the record only has six of them), from the mystical journey of “To Forgive Oneself” to “Orphaned Spiritual Warrior,” which barrels and pummels its way out of any objections. Joined by bassist Brian Tenison (also of Namebearer and Blood Chariot) and drummer Raymond Capizzo (Falls of Rauros), Obsidian Tongue demonstrates itself as multifaceted as ever across Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn.

Eclipsing Worlds Of Scorn by OBSIDIAN TONGUE

So it is perhaps unsurprising that there’s an emotional core to the music that supersedes style or production choice. I certainly wouldn’t have expected a song called “Snakeskin Tunnel Colony” to win any awards for catharsis, but there it goes, weaving in triumphant keys in unexpected places and making extremely endearing emotional appeals. Closer “Theater of Smoke & Wind” goes all-out with passages of ominous build that erupt into a black metal frenzy before taking a step back to let the keys end proceedings on an emotional, almost orchestral finish. It’s a far cry from Obsidian Tongue’s folky, atmoblack origins, but you can see the intended evolution for their sound. Hayter’s rasps are occasionally augmented by his cleans, his wistful baritones a perfect companion for the most woeful moments on Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn.² In all, Obsidian Tongue have a lot going for them; there are so many aspects to their sound that set up their music for success.

Still—and I do hate to say it—I keep coming up to the production; the ever-present fuzz of the guitars and distance on the drums gives Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn a vague, detached quality that may have served Obsidian Tongue better on past releases than the present one. It’s a good deal more immediate than Volume III, but still feels like it has one foot in the atmospheric world. From a songwriting perspective, however, Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn feels mismatched from this choice. The music’s lessened immediacy, partially due to this, makes most of the music non-memorable for me. I hear it, I enjoy it in the moment, I can even pick out my favorite songs and tell you why I like them,³ but I struggle to remember specific moments beyond their motifs. Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn leaves no doubt that Hayter and Obsidian Tongue are great at what they do, but they feel held back on this particular release.

Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn is another strong entry into Obsidian Tongue’s rapidly growing catalogue. It continues their trajectory onto a harder, darker path and I’ve very much enjoyed the result. I can’t quite help the feeling that the execution and vision aren’t quite aligned, but that could easily be just me—the core of Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn is fine black metal that lives up to the awesome album’s name and is worth the visit.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed:
Label: Profound Lore Records
Websites: obsidiantongue.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Obsidian-Tongue
Releases Worldwide: May 30th, 2025

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