Oblivium Regnum – Zradce EP Review

Hailing from the Czech Republic, Oblivium Regnum are a death metal band, formed in 2017 from the ashes of Depressive Reality. Unusually, but refreshingly, the band sing in their native Czech and, adding further depth to their compositions, their ambitious lyrics take in the reign of the Premyslid dynasty (a period in the 9^th Century that saw the Kingdom of Bohemia on the ascent, dwarfing much of Eastern Europe, with Prague at its heart). With guests from a number of bands, including Daniela (The Rays of the Sun), Nekro (Dysangelium), Michal Filipi (Fleshless), Frank Serak (ex-Fleshless / Garbage Disposal), Libor Cihak (ex-In The Shadows / Your Delusion) and the Cantabundas church choir, this short EP is both a who’s who in the Czech metal scene, and an impressive debut from a promising band. 

The EP opens on Bretislav A Jitka, with the choirs of Cantabundus bringing a touch of classical class to this tale of kidnap and love. With the lyrics addressing history on a grand scale, the band provide a suitably epic backdrop, with elements of traditional death metal giving way to choral passages reminiscent of early Therion. While the production is a little weak in places (the drums, in particular, seem to lack punch), the overall atmosphere is well crafted, harking back to the days when metal fans regularly traded tapes across Europe in search of something outside the everyday. On this level, the band deliver – drawing on a range of influences and demonstrating strong musical ability, not least during a series of blistering lead runs evoking early maiden. Next up, the doom-laden intro to Zradce nods to early Paradise Lost, the band consistently delivering riff after brutal riff, while the choral sounds return towards the conclusion, maintaining the cinematic feel of the EP as a whole. The track segues directly into the dark and deathly Homburg a particularly brutal offering, as befitting a track detailing a pivotal battle. Again, the old school atmosphere is particularly potent here, the arid riffs countered by the melodic lead work of Frank Serak. Final track, Posledni Bitva opens with a brief melodic refrain which, although a little ramshackle in its delivery, paves the way for a suitably epic concluding track, the churning riffs augmented by strings, evoking a deep sense of grief at the fall of Premysyl and his posthumous humiliation, his body carried across the country as proof of his death or, as the band put it: “[an] evil era begun in Bohemia”. With a stronger doom influence, as befitting the subject matter, it 

Clearly the work of artists deeply passionate about their work, Zradce takes death, doom, and traditional heavy metal influences to craft a tale that has all the more depth for its roots in history. Even for those not familiar with the Czech language, the atmosphere the band has created translates some of the tale for you, with the ferocious Homburg (named for the titular battle) giving way to the rather more tragic Posledni Bitva. Resolutely old school, the production does the job, but there’s a rawness to the delivery that is both beguiling (especially in an era where most productions are click-tracked to death), but occasionally lacks the punch you might expect. Overall, however, this is a deeply impressive offering and well worth checking out. 8.5/10