Time to dust off the recommended albums category with another awesome record that I meant to introduce for a very long time. I present you Temple of Oblivion’s second full-length “Traum und Trauma”, which continues to immerse the listener into an intense one hour long epic black metal storytelling.
Temple of Oblivion originate from Germany and unlike most of the bands who circle arond satanic themes, they took another approach in terms of their lyrics. Their scripts are inspired by legends and events that occurred in the past, interpreted in spellbinding fictitious stories. “Traum und Trauma” is their latest conceptual record that touches upon moments of World War I-II where the focus is the human being itself.
As soon as I started dissecting “Traum und Trauma”, I noticed one major thing that I must absolutely share before going any further. In my humble opinion, the front cover artwork is slightly misleading because it does not match to the quality of the compositions that lie beyond it. Despite it perfectly relates to its concept, it lacks the strength, excellence and charm of the songs that made me express various emotions that equal to “this stuff is simply amazing!” As a person who appreciates the quality of the artwork as much as the music itself, I would like to appeal to those among you who are of the same kind to NOT turn their back on “Traum und Trauma!” Let me share why..
“Traum und Trauma” is a majestic, symphonic/epic black metal form of music with a cinematic touch that easily provokes one’s imagination and takes him into the core of the story, witnessing historical turns right before his eyes. The beauty of it is the affluence of complex breathtaking compositions that traverse through unforgettable events from the past, offering experiences that are rarely to be felt.
The excellence of this record is manifested on multiple levels starting from the musicianship to the way the concept is carried through. Speaking of the instrumental work, there is an abundance of mesmerizing symphonies, fairy effects and masterful guitar playing that shows off what means diversity (keeping in mind that bands in this genre tend to keep things simple and repetitive). At some point one may experience a calm atmosphere of chants and subtle winds in the background and then suddenly get stormed by an unstoppable assult of fast-paced black metal riffage accompanied by wicked vocals. As if a beautiful scenary falls apart and turns inro a grey, devastated place that is full of memories and lifelessness.
“Traum ud Trauma” never seizes to amaze because there is always something new that comes up along the tracklist. The point of interest shifts from one to another and the listener is blisfully entrapped by the outstanding storytelling that makes one’s curiosity go wild and thirsty for more clues. This record is a vast canvas painted with an endless amount of detail; the more you stare it it, the more you find out and get blown away.
With my concluding words, I am gonna say without a single doubt that this release deserves to be labeled as a masterpiece. It is yet another example of how the combination of hard work and full dedication to art can give birth to something as flawless as “Traum und Trauma” is. Dismissed!