Band:	Ne Obliviscaris
Album:	Portal Of I
Style:	Extreme progressive metal
Release date:	May 2012

01. Tapestry Of The Starless Abstract
02. Xenoflux
03. Of The Leper Butterflies
04. Forget Not
05. And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope
06. As Icicles Fall
07. Of Petrichor Weaves Black Noise

Now I for one am one of the newer fans of this unique progressive metal outfit. I was unaware of the Aurora Veil EP that came out in 2007, was already establishing a fan-base, and was building up significant hype for the release of Portal of I five years later. I have never even heard of Ne Obliviscaris, until right before the album was released, with the surrounding hype growing to a fever-pitch. I was finally able to order a copy from the band's label and after a few spins, I must say, I was quite impressed.

One of the first things I noticed about this album is the usage of violin, something heard much more frequently in folk metal as opposed to progressive extreme metal. It offers a unique flavor to the music being crafted and allows it to be much more diverse than it would have been already. I feel the violin is a refreshing take from many of the typical progressive metal artists who strictly focus on how technical their guitar player's solos are and so forth.

Keep in mind, this is still an extremely technical release, with fast riffs, blistering solos, and ever-changing time signatures at the drop of a hat. The clean vocals, while perhaps not outstanding on a technical level are still a delight to hear and help to accentuate the mood of each song alongside the impressive growling. Each member's performance is strong throughout, and while there may be a few drags here and there in the album's flow, considering the seventy-minute length, the members deliver a superb effort to keep the listener engaged in the world they have created.

The difference between this band and most of the typical progressive metal artists I've heard out there is that these men are able to weave a sort of literary and erudite mannerism into how they write and perform their material. The song titles themselves, including "Of The Leper Butterflies" and "Tapestry of the Starless Abstract" seem to demonstrate an interest on the part of the band in the surreal and otherworldly. This is also demonstrated in the lyrics themselves, including a quote from the second track, "As Saturn devours, of mind-streams' oddity. Rift wrought souls rupture, rippling... All shackles have now fallen, nebulae horses pulse on. Can I feel?"

Overall I feel this is an excellent start for this up-and-coming progressive extreme metal outfit, and I'm almost certain that this has met the expectations of those who were already fans of their previous EP. Portal of I is without a doubt one of the most unique items that I have heard come out of the 2010's decade thus far, and I look forward to what the future holds in this band's favor.