Buried In Oblivion

The first impression one gets of Buried in Oblivion is a pointlessly technical and flashy dual-guitar wank that should have anyone but a selected niche of prog metal lovers rolling their eyes and contemplating the skip button. However, those familiar with Into Eternity's brand of melodic melting-pot death-thrash-prog know to hold fast for the inevitable stylistic shifts that litter this Canadian band's output. And while less capable hands striving for complexity in arrangements tend to betray their creators' struggles with attention deficit disorder, Into Eternity pulls off their jarring, stop-on-a-dime, radical tempo switching with a fair amount of listener-friendly charm, making Buried in Oblivion an enjoyable, if sometimes choppy, ride. Occasional instrumental glory-hogging aside, the group deftly balances thick hooks with technical, Swedish-style death, going so far as to incorporate three different voices into the mix, including upper- and lower-register death growls and frilly, clean-sung power metal vox with a fair amount of Bruce Dickinsonian elasticity. In other words, representative cuts "Embraced by Desolation," "Black Sea of Agony," and "Isolation" are sometimes overtly busy and occasionally jarring, yet still retaining memorable choruses and snatches of melody. One reference point may be Opeth's similar sonic blend, although Into Eternity eschews the Swedes' subtle, organic approach for a slick, speedy, caffeinated, and easily bored high-wire act punctuated with self-indulgent flourishes. Hence, Buried in Oblivion welds a few well-established styles into a solid, somewhat original whole, exuding plenty of ambition and musicianly skill in the process; death and prog-power fans alike may find plenty to sink their teeth into here, assuming they can endure the occasional clichés from either genre.