Band:	Obscure Sphinx
Album:	Anaesthetic Inhalation Ritual
Style:	Doom metal, Post-metal, Sludge metal
Release date:	April 2011

01. AIR
02. Nastiez
03. Eternity
04. Intermission
05. Bleed In Me (Pt 1)
06. Bleed In Me (Pt 2)
07. Paragnomen

One can always appreciate the emergence of some new and experimental music and the people who plant the seeds for it. But this time, there are more names to take the credit for their contribution to that music, not to mention that it gets more interesting and adventurous once you listen to what they deliver.

Those who are familiar with sludge metal and its history are more likely to hail New Orleans for combining elements of heavy metal, punk music and southern rock to come up with sludge metal. Ever since then, the scene has grown and spread across the globe, spawning many acts in US and abroad, with some of these acts improvising on combining sludge with post-rock.

Winner of The Summer Breeze Open Air's "New Blood Award" in 2012, the Polish outfit Obscure Sphinx combine elements of doom, sludge, and progressive metal with post rock and to be fair, it's more than just a combination of a few defined musical genres. Add female vocals (and by that, I'm not talking about operatic or epic vocals at all) and electronic samples and you might be persuaded to find their debut album amazing after a spin or two.

Anaesthetic Inhalation Ritual is filled with electrically-enriched sludgy riffs, nearly unpredictable shifts in mood and ambiance, atmospheric melodies, and of course, did I mention "female" screaming vocals? Now that's a bit weird considering the majority of sludge/doom outfits preferring male screaming vocals. I found the clean vocals to be out of the picture sometimes, which is really a matter of your own taste in music and your imagination. But Wielebna's approach to the lyrics and her role in arranging electric samples is somewhat scarce these days. Although it "could" be compared to Michael Armine of Rosetta fame, I find a comparison totally absurd and meaningless.

"Nastiez" could outshine other songs with its rather flamboyant intro and crushing melodies, but I find the two-part "Bleed in Me" to be equivalent in musical joy. They're all great musical journeys and I don't intend to get too picky about it. As for the people who find it boring and repetitive, I may have to point out a few things: first, it doesn't even hit the one hour mark, so it's not too long. Second: it's not like going down the hill as you reach the last track where you lose all the fun and energy. But most importantly, it's all a matter of your own imagination and resistance to intoxication caused by the music.

Anaesthetic Inhalation Ritual, as the band's debut album, is a blessing in the modern scene and a perfect example of how modern bands can keep a music scene up and running while adding a fresh touch to it.