Obelyskkh – White Lightnin'

There's simply no room left in the metal arena for a textbook approach to doom anymore. Thankfully, the sub-genre has split itself up into further factions over the past ten years or so, with bands like Bong and Ufomammut successfully carving out their own unique identities within the scene. German band Obelyskkh join their ranks by fusing pure Sabbath-worship together with a knack for creating seemingly limitless sonic spaces.

 

Aside from the anticipated low-end riffs, there's flashes of resonance on the group's sophomore LP. There's brief moments of layered guitar lushness to be found in Mount Nysa, and the eerie frequencies lurking around in the 15-minute closer Invocation to the Old Ones are similarly engrossing. There's a refreshing amount of variety in the vocal approach throughout, too: spine-tingling screeching, spoken word, and occult-flavoured chants. White Lightnin' isn't enough to breathe new life into a well-established niche, but it does prove that a little atmosphere can go a fair distance.