OBLIVION MYTH - Inside The Mirror
The Myth Is A Reality
Every once and a while a band comes along, seemingly out of nowhere, to make a huge musical AND spiritual impact. Oblivion Myth hails from Nashville, TN (not exactly “nowhere,” but hardly a city know for heavy metal!) and their music is a hard-hitting amalgam of old-school classic metal (Judas Priest/Saint) and more progressive power metal (Symphony X/Theocracy). And no, despite the blurb on their promo site, they sound nothing like Rush or Dream Theater. A good description might be a blend of Saint and Cage, sharing the vocal and lyrical similarities with the former and the aggressive guitars and drumming with the latter. It’s an impressive wall of sound for sure, with plenty of power, pomp and guitar shred. Equally impressive, though, is the lyrical approach. Instead of being moody, dark or introspective, Oblivion Myth confronts the truth of the reality in which we live, as well as the encompassing spiritual warfare over-arching our own personal battles. In many ways, this reminds me of Sardonyx’s wonderful Majestic Serenity from the early 90’s. Remember that one, with all those bible verse references with each song? Yep, Oblivion Myth has got that going on here as well, but these guys are not as scathingly confrontational as Sardonyx and are instead more exhorting in nature.
Inside The Mirror was originally released in 2016, but these guys have actually been around for over a decade. They released their debut in 2006. With the buzz surrounding them continuing to grow, as well as anticipation of new material later this year, this seemed a good time to highlight the epic sophomore release. It is loosely conceptual and there are plenty of interludes (six in all) to provide an “aural rest” between blistering full-length songs. The band employs a few guest vocalists and guitar players, and producer Andy Freeman contributes keyboards/orchestrations.
This is a loud recording – crystal clear vocals (Tim McDonald has that Halford bite), cutting, crunching guitars with plenty of shred-filled leads and solos, and drums that are up-front in the mix. I love the kick/bass drum sound which really gives this music that live punch vibe. Shultz is a powerful and dynamic drummer – he balances foot speed and power really well – and so it is great to hear every cymbal crash, tom fill/flam and kick punch with such clarity. All of the players here, though, are skillful and these guys exude a professional quality that is as genuine as it is hard to find these days. My only complaint about the recording might be that the volume on the interlude tracks seems too low compared to the main songs, but this is minor. Overall, Inside The Mirror is clean but still feels raw like metal should.
There are some absolutely killer songs here, like the up-tempo opener “Blinding The Darkness,” “Sea Of Tranquility,” “Beyond This Home” and my favorite track “Absence of Malevolence.” Surprisingly, the only song that feels a bit contrived or cliché is “Battle Angels,” but it is still a fun metal anthem. Fans of power metal with positive/Christian content shouldn’t even hesitate to check out Inside The Mirror. Oblivion Myth, in my opinion, is the best band to emerge in the Christian power metal scene since Theocracy.[Miracle Music]
