The album starts off with a harp, already distinguishing themselves from nearly any other band out there. I've heard harps before in metal... but never featured to this extent. Half of the songs on the album the harp is the primary - the only - instrument. As the strings are plucked it requests that the listeners spend some time in quiet contemplation... remembrance for times long lost.
The metal is the perfect compliment to the harp. Despite being in such a maximalist genre like metal, there is a quietness to Obsequiae's music. It encourages meditation and contemplation.
Throughout the album they have a strong sense of reverb added to most of the instrumentation, this is a key component to their sound. The music takes on an otherworldly quality. As if we are listening to spirits perform their instrumentation for us on the mortal plane.
This is technically black metal from the vocals, and some limited blasting. It is so much more though, the melodies are graceful, and again the music has an amazing contemplative quality to it that is not found in much other metal. Whatever the "it" factor is, these guys have it.
After listening to so much Dead Can Dance lately, I wonder if these guys have them as an influence. The overall feel of Aria of Vernal Tombs is very similar to that of The Serpent's Egg. Whatever they are doing to inspire this song, I hope that they continue to do it. With only three albums to their name, they have already carved out a distinctive niche within the metal tapestry.
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