Band:	Sur Austru
Album:	Obârşie
Style:	Black metal, Folk metal
Release date:	February 2021

01. Cel Din Urmă
02. Taina
03. Codru Moma
04. Cânt Adânc
05. Caloianul
06. Ucenicii Din Hârtop I
07. Ucenicii Din Hârtop II

Solid mix of folk and black metal.

I must admit I was never that big of a fan of Negură Bunget; in fact, I think that OM is one of the most overrated albums of all time. So, I went into the first album with no expectations and I thought it was just alright. Obârşie, however, is an improvement over its predecessor in every way. The mix of folk instruments, epic songcraft, orchestral flair, and black metal is about as damn near perfect as you can get, and the folk elements are what made me love this album so much. I think my affinity for folk elements is rooted in my childhood love of museums and national parks. In the 90s, every gift shop here in the American West always had new age music playing in the background, especially folky world music and Native American songs, so I guess you could say I was conditioned to love these elements from a young age.

But it's not just the use of folk instruments that I enjoy here; it's mainly that neither the folk elements nor the black metal elements ever feel out of place or overused. Everything is played with restraint and it is through this balance that you get great, memorable songs. Another plus is that this album never feels like a slog to listen to; the 55-minute run time flies by. Now, I don't know anything about Romanian folklore and my historical knowledge is limited to Vlad Tepes and Romania's involvement in the World Wars, so I can't comment on the authenticity of the folk instruments or scales used, but the intro song sounds more Middle Eastern to my ears. This "Middle Eastern" or Oriental flair is prominent through the whole album, mixed in with Jethro Tull-inspired flute playing.

The performances are solid, with my only criticism being that I would have loved to hear some guitar solos sprinkled throughout the album. Songwriting is solid and so are the production values. I know lo-fi production tends to be kvlt in black metal, but I prefer my black metal to have decent productions that allow the songs and riffs to shine.

Overall, I think this is a superb album and one I would recommend to people wanting to get into either folk metal or more atmospheric, melodic black metal. Obârşie is a strong contender come award season, and I hope that Sur Austru stick around and continue to evolve their sound.