Obscura

Obscura is a technical death metal band from Landshut, Germany, active since 2002. The group also has links to Munich and works within death metal and progressive metal, with a strong technical and progressive approach.

Formation and early years

Guitarist and vocalist Steffen Kummerer founds the band in 2002. Obscura draws attention in 2006 when it tours Europe as support for Suffocation and independently releases its debut album, Retribution, in the same year.

Line-up changes and core members

After several changes in membership, the band announces drummer Hannes Grossmann and fretless bassist Jeroen Paul Thesseling as permanent members in late 2007. Guitarist Christian Muenzner joins as a permanent member in early 2008. Thesseling later leaves in 2011 and is replaced by Linus Klausenitzer. Other members associated with the group include Rafael Trujillo and Tom Geldschläger.

Albums and collaborations

Obscura releases its second full-length album, Cosmogenesis, in 2009 through Relapse Records. The album features guest appearances from Ron Jarzombek and Tymon Kruidenier. In 2011 the band issues Omnivium, which includes guest contributions from Tommy Talamanca and Morean. The album is based thematically on Friedrich Schelling’s On Nature’s Connection to the Spirit World.

Style and significance

The band’s music combines death metal, progressive metal and technical death metal, with compositional complexity and elements drawn from thrash and black metal. Obscura is associated with a modern technical death metal style and builds its reputation through intricate playing and frequent line-up changes around Kummerer’s leadership.