Amazing is the word best suited here. When a completely unknown band just blows you away like this, what can be said... Obtest (from Lithuania) are hands down one of the best Baltic bands I had the pleasure of hearing. In quality, they rank way up there with the mighty Skyforger, Poccolus, Tharaphita while sounding nothing like any of these bands. Well, the amazing Pagan feeling and atmosphere that they created is comparable to Skyforger, but the music... I am actually having hard time classifying it, but roughly speaking, stylistic elements of heavy metal are applied to fierce black metal attitude and heartfelt, almost epic, neo-pagan stature. Very uniquely done and just as magnificent. Really fast, robust drumming all throughout, impeccable riffing with loads of glorious, swirling leads, and some of the most emotional vocals I ever heard in metal. I simply can't praise this enough. Obtest should be heard by one and all simply because they are that good. I don't know anything about the band. For all I know, they may not even exist anymore, so I urge you not to let an album like this hopelessly drown in complete obscurity.

© 2001 boris