Obskuria and the Big Cosmic Freakout
Burning Sea of Green, the sophomore outing from intercontinental troupe Obskuria released through World in Sound, is a two-fold mood piece, and by that I mean that not only does the record evoke a particular atmosphere throughout, but it also requires a certain mindset on the part of the listener to be at its highest potency. The band features members of Peru’s La Ira de Dios and a seemingly shifting cast of German and American contributors, making for a widely varied listen throughout Burning Sea of Green, the vocals of Murielle Stadelmann giving multiple album highlight performances on “Memories of Mysteria,” “Somewhere,” the extended closing title track and a surprise cover of Slayer’s “Black Magic,” presented here as a soulful chuck of garage psychedelia.
Stadelmann is not the only vocalist appearing on Burning Sea of Green, however. Matthias Schäuble appears on “Why?!” “Under the Gallows” (another highlight, if somewhat darker lyrically), “Slow Stone” and “Screaming Like a Whirlwind.” Guitarists Tom Brehm and Chino Burga, bassist Carlos Vidal, organist Sandra Disterhöft and drummer Enrique de Vinatea make up the instrumental core of the band, and together, they bring to the fold a heavily krautrock-inspired sound that isn’t shy about its cosmic elements. The spacey “Why?!” is one of several cuts on Burning Sea of Green that seems to be traveling in a rocket powered by sustained organ notes, and even “Black Magic,” which first appeared on 1983’s Hell Awaits, is reborn as a trippy, Jefferson Airplane-style freakout.
The reason I say this is mood music is because if you’re not in the right headspace to really dig into it, Burning Sea of Green is going to wash over you to the point that you’ll barely notice when it’s over. The Blondie-style sensuality of Stadelmann’s voice on “Memories of Mysteria” is easily missed by someone not paying attention, and experienced on that level, Obskuria aren’t doing much more than innumerable other psychedelic rock bands. It’s when you really sit with Burning Sea of Green that the album opens itself to you and shows its full breadth. The subtle tugs of guitar strings on “Under the Gallows” and the running tom work of de Vinatea make for a cool listen, but you have to be willing to put in the effort of hearing them.
Whether or not you want to do that is entirely up to you, but in my own experience with the record, the satisfaction gleaned easily justifies the process gleaning it. Also notable is Burning Sea of Green’s gorgeous psychedelic artwork, which touches on the semi-political leanings of Obskuria while incorporating them — much as the music itself does — into a wonderfully colored and diverse aesthetic. Included in the digipak version of the album is a foldout poster that reveals what we see as the cover art is only a fragment of the whole picture. As a complement to the spontaneous and rich jams that comprise the tracklist, you couldn’t ask for more.
Though tracks vary in terms of how memorable they may or may not be — “Slow Stone” isn’t nearly as likely to stick in your head as “Memories of Mysteria” — overall, Obskuria comes out on the winning side with Burning Sea of Green. It probably won’t prove to be the pinnacle of your psych collection, but the album has a charm and appeal for fans of the style that should make it definitely worth checking out.
Tags: Germany, Obskuria, Peru, World in Sound
