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Ne Obliviscaris - Vocalist Officially Exits The Band; Replacement Announced


Australian extreme progressive metal band Ne Obliviscaris have confirmed that their vocalist, Marc “Xenoyr” Campbell, is leaving the band. His departure follows Ne Obliviscaris - Vocalist Xenoyr Not Performing On Upcoming Euro Tour. Moving forward, James Dorton (known for his work with Black Crown Initiate, among others) will be stepping into the role, a position he has already been filling during live performances for some time.

The official statements from both Xenoyr & the band are below. A video statement from Xen is also available on Ne Obliviscaris’s Patreon.

Marc “Xenoyr” Campbell commented as follows: "This may come as a surprise to some and yet expected for others, but after much deliberation I’ve decided to leave Ne Obliviscaris, the band I started and have helped build for the last two decades. I’d always said that I’d be the last man standing in the band, and it was always my intention to return completely to the fold, but time and experience has changed me… and so here I am bowing out. The very simple reason is that considering where I am mentally and in life, extensive touring is no longer for me, and in turn meaning the band and I part ways.

Ne Obliviscaris has been one of my biggest priorities in life since 2003, I don’t regret that. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved – but the dedication of time, preparation and commitment to heavy touring, as every musician knows, comes with a lot of sacrifice. Since 2019 (pre-pandemic), I’ve only played a handful of live shows and over the last few years I’ve gradually become more estranged from the touring process.

So that coupled with some difficult years on a personal level, gave me time away from the hectic schedule to breathe and ultimately find clarity around what I value, what I want and how to proceed forward. My drive has always been first and foremost for the creative process of art, music, writing, and everything behind the scenes rather than being in the limelight every night, and so I plan to focus more on those things.

Leaving Ne Obliviscaris by no means implies that I’m giving up music, I have 3 other developing bands (Spiine, Omega Infinity, Antiqva) to focus on so I’ll still be around releasing albums. Creativity keeps me breathing, the stage lights do not.

Moving forward, Ne Obliviscaris will continue, as they have been in my absence, with the assistance and dedication of the talented James Dorton on vocals. He’s held the fort for me for numerous tours over the last couple of years and has done an incredible job, so I hand the hilt over to him – please make him feel welcome.

I’d like to thank the fine lads in Ne Obliviscaris, they’ve been gracious and understanding, and have given me the space to make one of the biggest decisions of my life. I don’t really have enough words to express my gratitude to them for the years of collaboration, experiences, memories, and achievements (and for putting up with my incessant nagging for more blast beats) – Thank you for everything – we’ve done more than we thought possible, and have done what most Australian metal bands strive for – I don’t see the train stopping anytime soon so I’m looking forward to watching the band continue to grow.

Thank you immensely to the Ne Obliviscaris patrons, I’m forever humbled for the support you’ve shown the band over the years, without you we definitely wouldn’t have come as far as we have. And finally thank you to all the fans around the world, I appreciate you all putting up with my black and white life filter.

This change is the only way forward for me, thank you all for understanding.”


Ne Obliviscaris added the following: “First of all to Xen– thank you for everything you have done for Ne Obliviscaris over the last 21+ years, going way back to the band’s inception in 2003. This band would literally not have existed without you and even though you are not continuing as an official member of the band, you will always be our brother. We love you buddy, and wish you all the best in this new chapter of your journey.

To all the fans - We never really imagined a version of Ne Obliviscaris without Xen to be honest. But one thing we have learned over the years is that the ability to adapt and grow when things change is a must. With that in mind we are very excited to announce that James Dorton will officially be joining Ne Obliviscaris as our new harsh vocalist. Having toured extensively with us over the last two years, many fans will already be familiar with James’ incredible talents and how great a fit he is for our band.

2025 is going to be another very exciting one for us with a lot more touring on the horizon (USA, Mexico & EU festivals already announced; & more to come), plus new music in the works as well. Thank you as always to everyone for all your ongoing support, thank you once more to Xen for everything and a big warm welcome to James.”


Source: facebook.com
Band profile: Ne Obliviscaris
Posted: 29.01.2025 by Thryce


Comments

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Comments: 8   Visited by: 112 users
29.01.2025 - 09:04
RiouxMax
Sounds like an amicable split. I gave a listen to James Dorton on one of their live shows - he's definitely up to the job.
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29.01.2025 - 10:19
So sad for him. Must be very hard to leave a band you invested so much.
I have seen theme 2 times in 2024 with James Dorton on vocals, he is very solid. I am very optimistic for the future of the band. They are getting better and better in my opinion.
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29.01.2025 - 10:33
LeKiwi
High Fist Prog
I got so hopeful - I thought it was the other vocalist(/violinist). Those vocals and violin melodies clash with their music so hard, though I acknowledge that I'm nearly alone with that view.
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29.01.2025 - 12:01
RiouxMax
Written by LeKiwi on 29.01.2025 at 10:33

I got so hopeful - I thought it was the other vocalist(/violinist). Those vocals and violin melodies clash with their music so hard, though I acknowledge that I'm nearly alone with that view.

Funny, I was really hoping it was NOT the clean vocalist For me he's the one that grants such unique personality to their sound. The growls are more generic.
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29.01.2025 - 14:01
LeKiwi
High Fist Prog
Written by RiouxMax on 29.01.2025 at 12:01

Funny, I was really hoping it was NOT the clean vocalist For me he's the one that grants such unique personality to their sound. The growls are more generic.

Totally agree about how you categorised them, but I'd much rather listen to run-of-the-mill screams than that sing-songy, jubilant, over-the-top, musical-like vocal play that the other vocalist does; at least in this context. There's this epic backdrop of grandiose instrumentation...then you have the clean vocalist skipping through the fields and playing his little fiddle. It just a terrible juxtaposition...to me of course.
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29.01.2025 - 15:34
RiouxMax
Written by LeKiwi on 29.01.2025 at 14:01

Written by RiouxMax on 29.01.2025 at 12:01

Funny, I was really hoping it was NOT the clean vocalist For me he's the one that grants such unique personality to their sound. The growls are more generic.

Totally agree about how you categorised them, but I'd much rather listen to run-of-the-mill screams than that sing-songy, jubilant, over-the-top, musical-like vocal play that the other vocalist does; at least in this context. There's this epic backdrop of grandiose instrumentation...then you have the clean vocalist skipping through the fields and playing his little fiddle. It just a terrible juxtaposition...to me of course.

Gosh, I love your description But I can see how it doesn't work for everyone yeah.
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29.01.2025 - 19:31
Starvynth
i c deaf people
Staff
Written by RiouxMax on 29.01.2025 at 12:01

Funny, I was really hoping it was NOT the clean vocalist For me he's the one that grants such unique personality to their sound. The growls are more generic.

Same here. I saw them live twice a few years ago (in 2016 and in 2018, IIRC). Tim Charles, the fiddling vocalist, was an absolute bundle of energy on stage and in a great mood. He was constantly present, communicating with the audience, joking, and hyping up the crowd. Exactly what you would expect from the frontman of a metal band.
Xenoyr was the complete opposite. He was only on stage when absolutely necessary and disappeared behind the curtain immediately after each vocal performance. During his brief moments on stage, he mechanically delivered his verses, looked over the heads of the audience and showed neither any gestures nor expressions. I found this behavior not only extremely unprofessional and disrespectful to the fans but also completely inappropriate and embarrassing. After the first concert, I was prepared for this awkward behavior, but it didn't make the second one any more bearable. Believe it or not, he even had his own little booth next to the stage, where he disappeared right after his performance and pulled the curtain shut while the rest of the band kept playing without him. Pure cringe.
After that, I swore I would never subject myself to seeing Ne Obliviscaris with Xenoyr again.

So for me personally, it's actually good news that they've found a replacement for him.
Tim Charles leaving would have been a disaster. He's the only remaining founding member and, in my opinion, the soul and the heart of Ne Obliviscaris.

Written by LeKiwi on 29.01.2025 at 10:33

I got so hopeful - I thought it was the other vocalist(/violinist). Those vocals and violin melodies clash with their music so hard, though I acknowledge that I'm nearly alone with that view.

Yeah, that’s probably a rather uncommon opinion, but I can still understand it. On record, I’ve always found Xenoyr pretty great, while Tim Charles is at best a good singer, nothing more. But live, it was a completely different story for me.

To put it bluntly: Xenoyr, despite his vocal talent, is replaceable - Tim Charles, however, is not. That’s what I believe.
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signatures = SPAM
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29.01.2025 - 19:40
musclassia
Staff
Written by Starvynth on 29.01.2025 at 19:31

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I remember the first time I saw NeO live how amused I was by the sheer difference in energy and aesthetic of Tim Charles and Xenoyr - if you showed someone a random picture of the band and you asked them to point out the guy who growled and the guy who played violin, I reckon most people would get full marks. As entertaining as that clash was, Xenoyr's going on and off stage did get a bit in the way of creating a connection in the way that Tim manages to with his energy; unfortunately, I've seen the band twice with Dorton while he was still temporarily filling in and there's still a bit too much going off and on during the instrumental breaks of songs, but he's probably better at crowd engagement while he is on stage.

I can understand why someone might not enjoy Tim's contributions to the band, but I definitely wouldn't want to hear a version of the band, live or on record, without those contributions.
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