Obdurated – I Feel Nothing (Mighty Music)
Thursday, 15th May 2014
Bands like Carnal Forge, The Crown, At the Gates, and early Soilwork all pushed the melody button while attempting to play thrashy riffs as fast as they could. More modern bands have attempted to recreate this, such as Paradise Inc. and Cryogen, giving the forefathers their due. France’s Obdurated are the latest to run in head first, guitars blazing, with some wicked melodies to boot.
Not sounding too far off from the bands mentioned in the opening paragraph, I Feel Nothing is a mostly up-tempo thrashy affair with a focus on melodies. More than capable of dishing out breakneck tempos, “Nomophobia” and “Strive” set the tone for the album to come. “Dishearten” lays down some groove and the layered growls are reminiscent of Without Grief. The chorus of “Unreason” ranks as one of the most melodic, with most of the track easing off the gas pedal a bit to solid effect. Closing number “Forefathers” also comes in at a more churning tempo, offering a bit of somber riffs sure to appeal to Hypocrisy fans. “Forefathers” also has a bit more feeling that the other tracks, a route the band would be wise to follow up on with their next work.
While Obdurated tend to follow many genre conventions and formulas, it doesn’t detract from I Feel Nothing’s lasting power. There’s always room for a band that brings some speedy melodies to the table as long as it comes with the conviction shown here. The winks and nods in “Forefathers” acts as some icing on the cake should the band bring in more of these more sorrow-filled moments in the future without losing their frenetic bite. Fans of thrashy melodeath should find themselves to be quite at home checking this one out.
