So for those who don’t know, Obsession is a metal band from the US, formed in 1982 when they debuted on the Metal Massacre 2 compilation (Metal Blade Records). After putting out a couple of albums in the 80’s, Obsession disbanded only to record Carnival of Lies as a reunion album released in 2006. Unfortunately, the album has gone out of print, but Innerwound Recordings is reissuing this classic work.
Obsession put out their debut on Metal Blade, the ep Marshall Law in 1984, and then released two albums on Enigma before disbanding in 1989 (Scarred for Life and Methods of Madness). Obsession reformed in 2004 and released Carnival of Lies on Mausoleum Records in 2006 and began writing Order of Chaos in 2009, which was released in 2012 and is highly recommended.
On Order of Chaos, I would characterize the sound from Obsession as later-era Rainbow/Deep Purple if the band had two guitarists of equal caliber as Ritchie Blackmore and if Joe Lynn Turner had a voice more like Ronnie James Dio, but in the earlier Carnival of Lies, I get a distinct Dokken vibe at times as well, so that has to be thrown into the mix. As a band, each member has quite a resume. Guitarists Scott Boland (MVP) and John Bruno (X Factor X) trade solos in an incredible fashion, and really sound nearly interchangeable, which is a bit different from what one usually hears in these situations. Usually the guitarists tone/style/sound/approach is quite different, so it’s easy to tell them apart, but in this case they are similar enough that one could mix up who is playing a given solo section. To me, this adds a bit of continuity to the songs and is a welcome difference. Vocalist Michael Vescera , who also remixed and remastered this album, has a voice that literally was made for this style of music and could be used as an example of what vocals in this style of metal should sound like. At times his vocals are soaring to the upper ranges while also being able to convey great feeling throughout his range. The rhythm section in power metal bands always miss the spotlight due to the focus on the guitars and vocals, but without a skilled, solid rhythm section, it all falls apart and Obsession has no worries with Chris McCarvill (House of Lords, ex-Dokken) on bass and Jay Mezias on drums. As you would expect on a reunion album, Obsession sounds like one of those bands that has been together for quite some time, there’s a quality in their sound where nothing seems forced, but interestingly, one can hear how their sound evolved between Carnival of Lies and Order of Chaos. I never heard the original issue version of Carnival of Lies, so I can’t comment on that and my first listen to Obsession was Order of Chaos, so for me this is like taking a step back in time.
Carnival of Lies opens up with two of the best songs on the album. “Smoking Gun” is a fast, rocking song from the opening riff that turns into a fast locomotive-type rumble through the verse sections with the riff returning at various points in the song. As expected, incendiary guitar solos abound throughout the album and this song is no exception complete with some dual guitar harmony parts as one would expect from an 80’s metal band. In the tradition of reunion albums, this one also features some guest appearances, notably guitarists Joe Stump (Reign of Terror) and Robert Marcello who add some solo work to “Carnival of Lies”, “Playing Dead”, and “Imagining” and “Judas”. “Carnival of Lies” opens up like many 80’s metal songs with the distant sounding guitar riff starting things off on its own before the rest of the band joins in. The rhythm section of Chris McCarvill and Jaz Mezias really help drive songs like this along as the guitars are more subdued during the verse sections.
The middle section of the album really brings me back to the late 80’s metal and while the songs are certainly good, they are not as impactful as the opening tracks, and this is where I get the Dokken vibe coming through from time to time. “Gulty as Charged” even manages to tick off the hair metal ballad requirement that the 80’s bands lived by, but in this case at least, the song has a harder edge to it.
Longtime fans of Obsession certainly were happy to hear “Marshall Law” from their debut re-recorded on this album and song while updated, does have an even older vibe to it than other songs on the album.
Reissues can be a tricky business as they often happen after enough time has passed so the songs sound dated. In this case, however, most of the songs on the album have stood the test of time very well and some are simply still outstanding examples of power metal.
Rating: 8/10
Written by John Jackson
Tracklisting:
01. Smoking Gun
02. Carnival of Lies
03. In for the Kill
04. Playing Dead
05. Imagining
06. The Offering
07. Pure Evil
08. I Don’t Belong
09. Written in Blood
10. Guilty as Charged
11. Marshall Law
Bonus tracks
12. Panic in the Streets
13. Judas
Obsession “Carnival of Lies” line-up:
Michael Vescera – Vocals
Jay Mezias – Drums
Scott Boland – Guitars
John Bruno – Guitars
Chris Mccarvill – Bass
Discography:
“1983 demo” [1983]
“Marshall Law” EP [1983]
“Demo” [1986]
“Scarred for Life” [1986]
“Methods of Madness” [1987]
“Carnival of Lies” [2006]
“Obsession” (comp) [2008]
“Order of Chaos” [2012] (review)
Record Label: Inner Wound Recordings, July 2015
Pre-order here:
innerwound.bigcartel.com
amazon.com
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Video below: “Carnival of Lies” (Album Teaser)