After feeding myself a pretty ample helping of Bomboras while writing their review, it was pretty nice to jump from such a high energy level to one that could compete! The Obsidians aren't exactly high profile: No label, simple album art, basic online presence, I believe they don't have members from previous surf bands, and I don't see them mentioned in many festival lineups. But their debut EP in 2019 was pretty damn solid, with a great surf tone and plenty of energy. It's hard to get too excited about any band when you only have ten minutes of material to work with, but they certainly held promise.
With their second unfortunately-just-EP, they waste no time to hit a fast clip with a nefarious guitar line. The intensity is undeniable, and it kind of stays there for all but one track, and it's all done with a mostly standard (but good) surf sound. Take "Seismic Surfing" which is a textbook example of how surfy drip can exude danger and anticipation.
It's hard not to notice the drumming, which subscribes to the "more is more" philosophy, and who are you to stop it? It absolutely shoves the listener forwards, and then subjects them to cymbals that truly do feel like crashing. And that's not to say that it's a runaway train -- the drums work well with its stringy counterparts to build them up to greater eruptive heights. This album was apprently recorded live, which I might not have guessed from the sound quality, but in terms of playing it certainly does feel like everybody locked in together tightly.
With two calamitous releases, I belive we can establish a pattern here. The Obsidians deserve to be known, and I hope that I can find an opportunity for them to knock me flat at a festival in the future.
As far as I know, this is a digital-only release. And at a risk-free pay-what-you want level!
