Band:	Obskuria
Album:	Discovery Of Obskuria
Style:	Blues rock, Psychedelic rock
Release date:	December 21, 2007
A review by:	Marcel Hubregtse

01. I Am My Own God [Dayglo Abortions cover]
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls [Metallica cover]
03. I See
04. Come Together [The Beatles cover]
05. Breakfast Suite
06. Forbidden Look
07. Essence Of Its Own
08. Turn Your Face
09. Discovery Of Obskuria
10. Die Die My Darling [The Misfits cover]
11. The World Is Gone [Peter Thomas, the original 1967 recording is featured here. bonus]

Ecclectic mix of Surf Punk, Blues Rock, Metal, and Space-Rock
World In Sound
Germany 2007
Total Running Time: approximately 78 minutes

CD or 2-LP can be ordered at http://www.worldinsound.de

Line-up:
Tom Brehm - Guitar (USA)
Miguel Angel Burga - Guitar, Vocals (on tracks 01, 02, 10) (Peru)
Winnie Rimbach-Sator - Keyboards (Germany)
Enrique de Vinatea - Drums (Peru)
Carlos Vidal - Bass (Peru)
Xtian Abugattas - 3D Sound Effects (Peru)
Matthias Schäuble - Guitars, Vocals (on tracks 03, 04, 08) (Germany)
Kristin Shey - Vocals (on track 10)
Peter Thomas - Track 11 (bonus track) The World Is Gone) (Germany)

Upon first listen my initial reaction was: "Jesus H. Christ, how the hell will I ever be able to review this? This is going all over the place. This is music best listened to when stoned." And since the only drug I do is alcohol I thought I would never be able to grasp this unless I would step into a time machine and transport myself back to the heydays of Haight-Ashbury in the sixties, peace dude?
But thank whoever for the loads of spins I gave this album and finally on the threshold of 2008 it all clicked. So, 2008 is the dawning of the age of Aquarius? Not sure, but Discovery Of Obskuria does take one back to the Summer of Love. First of all there's the tripped out colourful artwork and its text inlay. Get me a mirror cause I want to read what is written in there? As if that wasn't alienating enough this band is made up of Peruvians, Germans, and an American, constituting eight members.

Slip disc into cd-tray and push play? This 78 minute long trip takes off with two cover tracks. Track one being a spaced up surf punkish version of Dayglo Abortions' "I Am My Own God" and then the big surprise of the album follows after about 4 minutes. Some will call it heresy, others, like me, will love it, a drawn-out 8 minute space rock version of For Whom The Bell Tolls. Never ever has this Metallica classic sounded so alienating. Now this is how covers should sound in my opinion, a band should make it their own, and Obskuria has totally managed that. Except for these two covers a further two are included, Come Together by The Beatles, and Die Die My Darling by The Misfits (this cover far surpassing Metallica's tame version) and as bonus track The World Is Gone by Peter Thomas is added on. This is not a cover but the original recording of the song proper.
But, of course everyone is interested in Obskuria's own music. Well, think Hawkwind at its prime, mix it with Meddle and Ummagumma -era Pink Floyd and hell I even notice some Chris Goss (Masters Of reality) Blue Garden vocal melodies on Turn Your Face.
All the tracks are drawn-out jams, one clocking in at a whopping 19 minutes, another at 12, and the rest between 6 and 8. Totally Sixties music but with a modernday clear heavy and defining production. Close your eyes and slip off into a dream wonderland of euphoric and intense feelings.
This is a trip one can take without smoking the green leaf , eating shrooms, or popping pills or acid. But like with me that will take a couple of more listens than when aided by chemical or natural substances.

Highlights? You will just get high listening to this. But every single self-respecting metalhead should at least have heard Obskuria's version of For Whom The Bell Tolls once.

Conclusion: This is totally not a metal album, nor is it a hard rock album. But I can certainly recommend it to people into space rock and to the more adventurous soul.