Obsessor - Obsession (EP)

Artwork by Andrei Bouzikov

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Richmond, VA’s Obsessor have a brattiness that evokes Venom on skateboards. I love the sound: rough, urgent, human. I’d like to imagine that thrash bands today sound like this before falling to the reaper’s blade of studio overpolish.

For music like this (i.e., Internet forum darling metal), it’s easy to overlook the musical aspects. Minus cultural signifying (denim, patches, etc.), these songs hold up.

“Obsession” has the most beautiful guitar solo I’ve heard in ages, starting at 1:43. It’s a workout of slow bends going up and down; they ache with a wounded quality belying the full-steam-ahead assault. In its prechorus, “Underworld” gilds its crown of dirt with single-note accents baying like distant sirens. They’re easy to miss amongst the blood upon the stage, etc., but they’re there, and they’re important.

I doubt Obsessor think about this stuff too much. They’re probably just kicking out the jams. But they have an instinct for playing what’s right, and that’s what I look for in music, regardless of setting.

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OBSESSION EP: STREAM & FREE DOWNLOAD

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OBSESSION EP: CASSETTE TAPE

Tankcrimes
Tankcrimes (wholesale)

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OBSESSION EP: VINYL IS FORTHCOMING

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