Band:	After Oblivion
Album:	Stamina
Style:	Technical thrash metal
Release date:	November 2012

01. Deliverance
02. For The Rebels
03. Vultures
04. Breeding Perdition
05. The Carnal Form
06. Septic Mind
07. Ascent Of Misery
08. Stamina
09. Hatred Profound

How many bands from Bosnia and Herzegovina do you know? Exactly. After Oblivion made some heads turn (including mine) in 2011 with their Vultures EP, and deservingly so. Three songs of technical thrash with interesting ideas in all of them, albeit with a certain dose of repetition. Add the vocals that bring back warm memories of Chuck Schuldiner, and that makes for a pretty good start indeed. All the band had to do next was to listen to some other genres of metal or music in general, come up with some fresh fusions and record a mind-boggling debut full-length packed with fast riffs, shredding, and modernly technical transitions, and that would be it. Yeah, I made it sound a bit too easy; however?

What we get instead on Stamina is 33 minutes of repetitive riffs jumping from one song to another with a changed order of notes. That's just not gonna cut it in today's competitive metal world, and doing Chuck Schuldiner-like vocals does not save the day (because vocals will never fix the riffs, at least for this reviewer). Generally speaking, the songs have a nice groove to them, but the problem is that after hearing the three tracks from the EP, they are the only ones that stand out, and that makes the listening experience quite disappointing.

The dudes have got some skills, no doubt about it: the guitar playing - both rhythm and solo - is precise and clinical, and some songs have quite technical moments. The drums are often simplistic, but at times the fills are quite enjoyable, and in general the drummer seems to know what he is doing. The bass is subtly present, and overall the production is good, but the sound could be a little wider, not so tense and limited.

Frankly speaking, I don't know where this band is going, but I would like to hear something more original next time around. They have a vigorous sound, and if they are able to present something truly of their own with it, I would welcome that wholeheartedly. Clearly, After Oblivion need to think wider and embrace more, be braver, and explore the depth of their potential.