Obscura took to the stage in Whelans on Monday 17th as part of their current European/UK tour.
Support on the night came from Skeletal Remains and Gorod (who I unfortunately missed most of due to the M1 being its usual nightmare).
As if playing their distinct brand of death metal wasn’t enough, it seemed that Skeletal Remains’ frontman Chris Monroy was impervious to being hit by any kind of light. While towering over his microphone with his face completely covered by his hair, no matter what the stage lights were doing he seemed to constantly be shrouded in darkness. If you have ever heard their music or seen them play live, you will understand. It’s almost as if light itself knows better. They have joined Obscura on this leg of their tour, and I genuinely hope the US band return in the future for a headline show of their own. At this stage they are masters of their craft, and their set was a powerhouse performance of pure evil. Amazing stuff.
When Obscura walked on stage, the German ’Technical Death Metal’ band’s frontman Steffen Kummerer had the biggest grin on his face Ive seen.
Probably not exactly fitting for the tone of the evening, but judging by the crowds reaction you could forgive him, as it was entirely justified.
They launched into their set and out of nowhere during the first song, four big towers of smoke shot out from the stage, and suddenly it felt like it was a much bigger gig than it was. The band played a diverse set that ranged across their extensive back catalogue, and Kummerer obviously knew his audience, as he was interacting with everyone as if they were old friends. At one stage he even let the crowd pick the songs they wanted to hear next, which was a very nice touch and a testament to the entire band that they were able to play any song requested on demand.
Once again, metal bands have proven that as well was being amazing musicians and excellent showmen (the amount of gravity defying hair flips that made everyone look like Spawn mixed with the smoke machines and excellent lighting was fantastic), they are also, behind it all, really nice guys who understand the loyalty and respect they receive from their fans, and clearly give it back to them as well.
This gig was everything I could’ve wanted, and a whole lot more.
One of the most entertaining gigs I’ve seen in a while.
Skeletal Remains photos:
Obscura photos:
Photos & Words – David McEneanery @experimentzero