At the end of September last year, the Polish progressive death metal band Obsidian Mantra released their third full-length album As We All Will through the local label Via Nocturna. These Poles continue their musical journey, navigating between classic blackened death metal, top mastery, and modern vibes. Perhaps there is now a bit less groove and a bit more black metal, but the music still fits well enough under the label of progressive death metal. However, not in the sense of “technical” death metal, because everything here feels alive. In this case, the progressive elements aren’t just about high-level professionalism or mathematically complex structures (which are pushed to the limit); it’s about incorporating unconventional algorithms into the patterns of their compositions, all the while staying within the framework of traditional death metal. Here, “progressive” stands for freedom of will multiplied by moderate complexity, harmonizing the music and slightly blunting the straightforwardness of blackened death metal.
Obsidian Mantra was formed over 10 years ago in Poland, releasing their debut EP Burden Brought by Whispers shortly thereafter. Two years later came their first full-length album Existential Gravity, followed by their sophomore record Minds Led Astray three years after that. Now, four years later, we have As We All Will. If we follow this pattern, each new album takes a year longer than the previous, meaning the fourth album might not arrive until as far off as 2028. But perhaps it will come sooner, though crafting high-quality musical canvases, especially those imbued with such individuality, demands a lot of energy and time. This is especially true given that only a small percentage of musicians in the heavy music scene can support themselves solely through their art.
Poland has a strong death and black metal scene, rooted not only in the traditions of the genre’s early classic representatives (many of whom have achieved cult status), but also in a distinctively Slavic, unpolished rawness. Even among classic satanic bands, there are sometimes echoes of war metal. Obsidian Mantra, meanwhile, manage to remain a part of this typical Polish blackened death metal community, yet their drive for innovation, harmony, and alignment with alternative music suggests that these boundaries are too narrow for them. They don’t play by established templates.
Despite the fact that all eight tracks differ noticeably from one another, they sound cohesive as a whole, without any one song standing out as impossibly bright or unique. In this sense, there’s a consistent evenness maintained throughout the 30-minute duration of the opus. The album is mostly composed of mid-tempo blackened death metal pieces, following a distinct formula: very slow, death metal-style verses contrasted by choruses that don’t rely on melody or memorable guitar riffs. Instead, the choruses tend to introduce progressive elements and a controlled dose of chaos. It’s a rare approach, one that perhaps comes at the expense of melody and doesn’t allow the listener to sing along after just one turn. However, it opens the door to more experimentation. It also presents an extra challenge for the musicians: to tame the noisiness and messiness under the noble guise of progressive death metal, without slipping into wild avant-garde territory or descending into technical wankery.
The album opens with a short, gloomy intro, but from there “What Is Not, Is Not” follows its own established rules – a classic blend of death and black metal with a progressive ambiance. “Chaos Will Consume Us All” is the most melodic track on the album, but its jagged riffs and overloaded technical sound prevent it from being labelled as melodic death metal. Overall, the album contains a fair number of transitions – not super contrasting, but enough to sustain the diversity of the compositions, especially since As We All Will leans more toward minimalism in its overall approach. For example, “Condemned to Oppression” includes such a slow passage that it verges on doom metal. On the other hand, “Sowers of Discord” dives into something closer to a thrash/groove metal territory. Still, these transitions don’t feel like artificial accents or emotional spikes – they’re naturally embedded into the structure of the songs, as if each shift is the most logical and organic thing that could happen. This speaks about the significance of smart arrangements.
Another curious aspect is that not everything here is built around guitar riffs, as is usually the case within these genres. Often, the riffs here are monotone and primitive, and while this may initially give the impression that the album lacks standout moments, a second listen reveals the intention: to avoid highlighting melodies or relying on a single catchy riff. Instead, the band delivers a structured and polished framework where everything has its place, and no single element overshadows or clashes with another.
The album cover is also minimalistic, and its grey tones fit seamlessly into the overall atmosphere of As We All Will depicting an anonymous figure in the shadows, behind a mask that conceals an individuality the modern world tries to suppress by imposing foreign values and ideas. Musically, Obsidian Mantra mirrors this same duality: veiled and traditional at first glance, yet within this figure lies a clear intention – the intention to express individuality, which they succeed in doing. In a surprising way, Obsidian Mantra’s greyness conceals an inner world made up of numerous carefully crafted details. Together, these details form a genuine piece of art – free from constraints and the need to imitate anyone else.
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