Ne Obliviscaris, Oceans of Slumber, Splintered Halo – ABC 2, Glasgow (6th October 2016)

As with all genres, there is always one band which surpasses all expectations and blow you away with everything they have. This band, for me, is Ne Obliviscaris when it comes to progressive/melodic death metal. Sadly, they don’t come by very often. But… as soon as I saw that they were coming to town, I immediately made arrangements to be there.

Splintered Halo

splintered-halo-insertThe night opened with a rather unique and somewhat spooky local band. As great as the idea seemed to add a “metal touch” to certain pop cultural references such as The Exorcist or Wizard of Oz, I personally found the vocals to be a little difficult to get into and the theme to be a little too odd as an opener. Whilst they were very good at they did, what they did wasn’t really for me.(6/10)

Oceans of Slumber

oceans-of-slumber-insertThe second support with a very atmospheric sound and a rather unexpected voice made for a somewhat relaxing set. Whilst there was good interaction with the crowd and nice ambiance, the music could have used a little more rhythm and energy. The musicians switching instruments between certain songs showed a lot of talent and was an entertaining part of the show, I just wish I wasn’t slowly put to sleep. They did garner a good reaction from the crowd though, so there were fans of them there. [Jimmy’s note: I actually quite liked them.] However, like the first band, they weren’t really for me. No disrespect to them though, as they did put on a good show. (7/10)

Ne Obliviscaris

ne-obliviscaris-insertFinally the moment came for Ne Obliviscaris. Not only were they as impressive as I would expect, they surpassed my expectations with the amazing skill and ability to set a hauntingly amazing mood throughout an entire venue. From the very first note to the last, there was a beautiful atmosphere and it was difficult to decide whether to simply admire or to headbang! Every violin solo from Tim sent goosebumps all across my arms. Intertwining all of the instruments with the dark growling vocals simply fitted perfectly, a testament to the level of songwriting in the band. A personal favourite song was set in stone after the performance of “and plague flowers the kaleidoscope”. A song with so many variations, all more wonderful and skilled than the last.

Overall Ne Obliviscaris are a band worth seeing at the very least once, endlessly at the most. Even if you are not familiar with the music, you will without a doubt come out a fan. I entered familiar with the band and now I admire their work even more! Their next tour cannot come soon enough! (10/10)

All images aside from header image Copyright Bukavac Photography 2016.

Ne Obliviscaris: facebook | twitter | patreon

Oceans Of Slumber: official | facebook | twitter | youtube

Splintered Halo: facebook | twitter

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