Stargazer Scholar
Every genre has its stalwarts—the defining bands. Artists who pioneered the movement or managed to establish themselves as a beacon of quality for everyone aspiring to navigate similar sonic terrains. Poland’s Obscure Sphinx, with three excellent full-length albums and a few live releases under its belt, may be standing on the shoulders of the giants that came before, but the uncompromising, visceral talent of this Atmospheric Sludge Metal combo should have long ago earned it a place in the genre’s pantheon. But since the band, true to its name, remains underground, let me try to right this wrong by covering its newest mini-album.
After eight years without a studio release, expectations were high for some new material from the quartet. Somewhat surprisingly, when the new collection of songs finally dropped at the very beginning of January 2025, it turned out to be a concise 30-minute affair. The initial disappointment didn’t last, however. The band lived up to the challenge and succeeded in showcasing most of its facets within a limited time frame.
The Latin verb Emovere was chosen as the title of the EP. According to the band’s social media, the duality that the word implies—by simultaneously being an agent of movement and the origin of the word emotion—informed the music, and from the very first seconds, you can tell how true it is. Alternating between the doomy ferocity of Sludge and the uneasy relief of Post-Metal, the record engulfs you with a mesmerizing grace of encroaching lava. The inventive drumming emphasizes the momentum and adds a layer of excitement to the well-written but somewhat familiar riffs and pensive, atmospheric passages. The instrumentation is not groundbreaking, but Obscure Sphinx knows well how to keep its listeners engaged.
Each song has its own focal point that defines its flow and separates it from its peers. The opener, “Scarcity Hunger”, offers a more traditional yet dynamic interplay between darkness and shade, going through many remarkable phases to achieve a touching finale. “As I Stood upon the Shore” is one of the most memorable and emotional tracks the band has ever produced, culminating in a poignant refrain that is guaranteed to keep you coming back for more. Finally, “Nethergrove” is a hypnotizing mantra, a misty and cathartic lesson in introspection that moves away from Extreme Metal to the purely Post territories.
The triumph that is Emovere would not have been possible without the enchantress behind the mic. Frontwoman Wielebna delivers the most diverse performance of her career, ranging from the folky chants in her native language on the second track to her trademark soothingly disturbing croons. Her extreme vocals are as powerful as ever and faithfully follow the hardcore-inspired tradition of Sludge, but she also unleashes her inner Lisa Gerrard on oriental, mystical passages, most notably during the opening and closing songs.
Obscure Sphinx created an intricate and moving record. This is the kind of music that will leave you wondering whether the world around you is truly engulfed in flames or whether you are simply having a fever dream. The band doesn’t reinvent the genre, but the sheer amount of influences and ideas that inhabit Emovere puts it in a league of its own. Imposing in her vulnerability, feminine in her might, Wielebna is the undeniable star of this show, but the whole band deserves credit for keeping up with its mesmerizing frontwoman and supporting her talent with equally compelling soundscapes. It is hard to imagine an EP that would justify eight years of anticipation, but… Guess what? You have just read a review of one.
Label: Self-released
Release date: 6 January, 2025
Website: https://obscuresphinx.bandcamp.com/
Country: Poland
Score: 4.2/5, Atmospheric Sludge Metal doesn’t get any better. Welcome back, we missed you
Metal Eclipse Reviews 