THE DIABOLIC OBSESSION – Tier Drama

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For anyone who has been hanging out on the Italian extreme scene since the early nineties or so, the moniker The Diabolic Obsession certainly rings a bell in the recesses of the mind: behind this new, disturbing project (structured in the form of a one-man band) lies the homonymous, historic bassist of Mortuary Drape from the period from “Into The Drape” to “Secret Sudaria”.
For the avoidance of doubt, it must immediately be said that, if you think you will find in this first EP by The Diabolic Obsession some sort of nostalgic recovery of the sounds of the legendary Alexandrian occult black metal band from the good old days, you might be partially disappointed: although, in fact, this “Tier Drama” shares many of the fascinations and impulses that animated that evocative and peculiar sound – starting from the evident attraction for esotericism, necromancy, magism, the macabre and the horror, and although there is an evident sharing also regarding the points of contact with the varied musical entities that have drawn strength and inspiration from these themes – the style showcased by Our in this debut album differs quite markedly from that of the band founded by Wildness Pervesion and the late Without Name way back in 1986.

Where, in fact, in Mortuary Drape the love for the proto-black metal sounds of the various Hellhammer, Venom, Bathory and mangling company emerged (and emerges) in a preponderant way, in The Diabolic Obsession (without completely denying the aforementioned influences) it is the love for the more classic horror metal, with evident references to the work of people like early Death SS, Mercyful Fate and solo King Diamod.
To this bond, even more strengthened by the presence of the legendary Andy LaRoque as a guest on lead guitar in the song “The Red House”, we must add abundant doses of typically Italian dark sound (from Devil Doll to Jacula, passing through Goblin and Paul Chain) and 80s dark wave (Bauhaus and Sisters Of Mercy above all), with a touch of horror/apocalyptic post-punk (a bit like Grave Pleasures and Beastmilk) to complete the framework.
The result is a sound that is as varied as it is cohesive, both from a purely musical and moody and atmospheric point of view, excellently punctuated by the classic rounded and extremely 'present' bass of the good Diabolic Obsession, very recognizable even after thirty years away from the scene.

The aforementioned “The Red House” opens the dance of this four-song EP, where you are immediately struck by the fiercely occult/horror vibrations of our proposal. The scent of unspeakable rites perpetrated in abandoned mansions, surrounded by dark yet tangible presences, immediately strikes the listener's imagination, accompanied by a solid, vibrant and dense musical fabric, but also extremely dynamic and captivating: to have a reference, think of the less 'black' Ponte Del Diavolo and join them to the Death SS of the first three official albums, adding to it all the rather intelligible scream of Diabolic Obsession, which is ultimately the point of contact more evident between this project and extreme metal.
The careful and never invasive use of synths gives everything the right atmospheric depth, making the result even more dark and at the same time fascinating, with the excellent solo of the aforementioned Andy LaRoque (full of deliciously melancholic hints) acting as the ideal icing on the cake for this captivating opener, to say the least.

The following “Adeline” sounds harder, heavier and obsessive, driven by a bombastic and 'fat' bass groove (this is, close to the Mortuary Drape that they were), while the dark and pounding “Mother Rasputin” (thanks to a riff that recalls, as we were saying, the solo Diamond King), without taking a step back in terms of expressive and stylistic intensity, allows us to admire the more purely horror metal guise of The Diabolic Obsession.
Our band proves to be very skilled in giving their music rather catchy connotations (especially with regards to the construction of melodies and vocal lines), despite the rather elaborate nature of some structures, while the constant and we would say almost 'animal' performance ardor allows the compositions to flow with great impetus, constantly maintaining high gradients of tension and sensorial immersion (a result which is also contributed by the care taken in writing the lyrics, largely inspired by legends, historical figures or real events).

To close this convincing “Tier Drama”, here comes the deadly “Testament In Decay”, full of dark, cemetery and ritualistic vibrations, a worthy seal on a compelling first work, well-finished and full of points of interest, which we hope to be the preamble to wider-ranging works, which are able to reiterate and expand on the good things showcased on this occasion.
The Italian occult metal scene may have just been enriched with a new name with notable specific weight. If these sounds are your daily bread, don't miss them.