A View From The Back Of The Room: Obscura (Nat Sabbath)

Obscura, Skeletal Remains & Gorod, The Asylum, Birmingham, 15.02.25

On 15th February 2025, The Asylum in Birmingham became the beating heart of technical death metal, playing host to an extraordinary night of musical dexterity, innovation and sheer intensity. 

With Gorod, Skeletal Remains, and headliners Obscura delivering performances of uncompromising quality, it was a celebration not just of technical proficiency, but of the creative diversity within modern death metal.

First to take the stage were Gorod (8), the French masters of progressive technical death metal hailing from Bordeaux. From the moment the first notes rang out, Mathieu Pascal and Nicolas Alberny demonstrated exactly why the band has earned such reverence. 

Their guitar work was intricate yet fluid, switching seamlessly between frenetic technicality, expansive melodic passages and jazz-tinged flourishes — all while retaining an undeniable heaviness.

Benoit Claus’ basslines offered more than just support; they added a rich, melodic counterpoint, enhancing the depth of each track. Meanwhile, Karol Diers behind the kit showcased astonishing versatility, moving from complex polyrhythms to driving blast beats with absolute precision. At the helm, Julien “Nutz” Deyres delivered a vocal performance both commanding and dynamic, his guttural growls balanced by unexpected flashes of clarity and melody. 

Tracks like Disavow Your God and The Orb were delivered with stunning precision, the band effortlessly marrying technicality with a sense of groove and movement. Gorod set an exceptionally high standard, ensuring the audience were locked in from the outset.

Next came Skeletal Remains (10), the California-based purveyors of old-school death metal reimagined for a modern audience. Where Gorod dazzled with technical acrobatics, Skeletal Remains delivered something more primal; an unrelenting barrage of riffs, rhythms and ferocity, all underpinned by laser-sharp execution. 

There was a clarity and weight to their sound that allowed every note to land with devastating force. The influence of genre greats like Death and Pestilence was clear, yet the band’s identity never felt derivative.

Each riff was razor-sharp, each transition hit with bone-rattling precision, and the band’s collective energy was infectious. The crowd responded in kind, with pits opening up and heads banging in unison to tracks from their latest album Fragments Of The Ageless alongside fan favourites from earlier releases. 

There was a rawness to their delivery that stood in stark contrast to the polish of Gorod, but this contrast worked beautifully, showcasing the diversity within the death metal spectrum.

Finally, it was time for Obscura (7), Germany’s premier torchbearers of progressive technical death metal, and their arrival was greeted with the kind of fervour usually reserved for returning heroes. 

Steffen Kummerer, the band’s founder and creative linchpin, was as commanding as ever, his dual role as frontman and guitarist performed with effortless precision. His ability to balance serpentine, high-speed riffs with soaring melodic phrasing remains unparalleled, and his vocals (raw yet controlled) delivered both power and conviction.

The band’s latest album, A Sonication, released in early 2025, provided a wealth of highlights, with new tracks like Silver Linings and Evenfall sitting comfortably alongside career-defining pieces such as Anticosmic Overload and Diluvium. 

What became immediately clear was how cohesive and inspired this new incarnation of Obscura feels, the addition of Kevin Olasz on lead guitar, Robin Zielhorst on fretless bass, and James Stewart on drums has reinvigorated the band’s sound. Olasz’s lead work was nothing short of mesmerising, blending extreme technical prowess with a rare sense of melodic storytelling.

Zielhorst’s fretless bass playing added a warmth and fluidity that elevated the band’s intricate compositions, while Stewart’s drumming was a relentless masterclass in precision, energy and nuance. 

There was something almost transcendental about Obscura’s set - the way they moved between soaring melodic passages, brain-bending technical runs, and moments of pure, crushing heaviness. But despite the complexity, there was always clarity, every note had purpose, every flourish served the greater whole.

With The Asylum’s intimate yet intense atmosphere, the evening felt less like a standard metal show and more like a communal celebration of the artistry that exists within extreme music. 

From Gorod’s audacious fusion of genres to Skeletal Remains’ primal force and Obscura’s towering compositional mastery, this was a night that proved technical death metal isn’t just about speed or complexity - it’s about pushing boundaries while staying rooted in something deeply human.