Formed in early 2024 and split between Palermo and Messina, Italy's OBSIDIAN CHURCH are a five-piece epic doom metal band born from a shared devotion to old-school heavy metal. What began as an organic process of composing riffs quickly evolved into a massive, focused musical vision, drawing inspiration from the traditional founders of the genre: early Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus, Solstice, Tiamat, Paradise Lost, Pentagram and Therion – and, of course, Black Sabbath.
OBSIDIAN CHURCH wasted no time on their first recording. Forgoing a demo, the Italians digitally released their debut album, Stonebound, earlier this year. So impressed by its solemn waves of emotion, DYING VICTIMS stepped in to release it physically. Driven by the rhythmic foundation of drummer / producer Antonio La Camera and the towering delivery of vocalist Vicar Nocturnus and flanked by bassist Jos Curtis and guitarists Sara Scavo and Giada Seidita, OBSIDIAN CHURCH here truly play as a band; each element is as important as the other, and their subtle interplay elevates this far beyond a simple genre exercise. To be sure, Stonebound is bound firmly to traditional metal, with a specific and passionate devotion to classic epic doom, but the band thankfully don’t lean too hard on any one influence and, rather, allow their personality to come to the fore whilst honoring those revered traditions. Of especial note is the album’s production: at once rustic and ethereally heavy, the soundfield itself fully conveys the lyrical themes of existentialism, loss, esoteric spirituality, and even finding beauty within the world. Step inside OBSIDIAN CHURCH and become Stonebound!