Heavy Metal Webzine: One more
“Stand Up and Be Counted” review from Italy

 

The Italian “Heavy Metal Webzine” published its review of our debut EP “Stand Up and Be Counted” and
we are just grateful!
And you don’t have to speak Italian to read it.
With the help of modern technology we present to you the translation:

 

From the prolific Greek underground scene, we move on to discover Obscurus Rex, a quartet hailing from Athens, who earn a spot among our Steel Pills with their self-produced EP “Stand Up And Be Counted,” marking their debut in the music industry.

Formed in 2021, Obscurus Rex is made up of seasoned musicians with experiences gained in bands like Alphastate, Black Sun, The Silent Rage, and Heathendome, to name a few.

They create a brand of heavy metal that strives to be rather unique: the four tracks on the EP are firmly grounded in traditional foundations, to which the group adds doses of prog and even a bit of old-school hard rock.

The result is a structured heavy metal with fairly diverse and melodic tracks that develop over a certain duration (only the opening track “IT” approaches five minutes, two tracks exceed six, and the closing “Red” almost reaches nine).

Overall, it’s pleasant to listen to and well-played.

In particular, I liked Panos Karabelas’ bass work and the contribution of Manos Xanthakis, whose versatile vocals – in which I detect some Dickinsonian influences – align well with the different moods present in the songs.

On the flip side, perhaps the length of the tracks represents a limitation, with some parts where I lost focus while listening.

Additionally, I believe that some studio work is needed to define the sounds better, as I had the feeling that the sole guitar lacked some bite.

Considering that this is only their debut, “Stand Up And Be Counted” is not bad at all.

Obscurus Rex can certainly make strides forward, and I look forward to their next release! (Luca Avalon)

The EP is now available in Digital & CD form on Bandcamp!