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Here it comes, the latest release from the most well-known Lithuanian metal band in the world - Obtest. Er... well, possibly the most well-known Lithuanian band of any genre, in a worldwide scale. Their previous, Is Kartos I Karta, was a Valhalla of an album, so I had great expectations about this one. The first listenings didn't yield euphoric results from my point of view like that album, but subsequent tries have thrown bright light onto this recording, until the point of categorizing it as a quite competent effort, powerful, clean and strong, though a step below their awesome aforementioned opus. It's like some freshness is absent, some originality is lacking. Gyvybės Medis delves into the classic heavy metal focus started in Is Kartos I Karta without leaving the pagan way of metal these guys usually wield. This is a highly effective collection of songs, but less “perfect” than before. It gives me the impression that some compositions here are imbalanced in the songmaking: the choruses are more worked than the rest, the songs are somehow crafted to groove but without a really inspired result on some parts. Still there are some anthemic choruses pushing the tracks to be outstanding and thus easily become live favourites, as in “Vedlys”, so this album stands for a crushing dose of heavy pagan metal in the Baltic way, entertaining and professional. However, I miss the overall bombastic result of the previous album. A good example of what I'm trying to depict is the title track: with an excellent uptempo rise and great guitar leads in the middle, the rest of the phrases of the song are mostly dull and dead easy. In fact this track features an atypical structure where there isn't a distinctive chorus, and this strengthens the verses-that-say-nothing-special feeling left on me. Nevertheless, “Sakalo Vaikai” (Czech organization Sokol came to my mind when I saw this title...) is one of the best Obtest tunes ever and represents the huge potential this band is bestowed by Perkunas. The Running Wild vibe adds a classic touch, too. “Ąžuolas” is also a severe punch in the face of non-metal-believers. Then, other songs are simply good and correct, which by itself is a remarkable fact in these times of crappy bands messing around the scene. Probably now you think I'm being too demanding in this review, but one must be that way with the best bands, and Obtest belong to this category! I regard them capable of doing some great things, and the future will prove me right, hopefully. This time they've performed a bit under (high) expectations. Other bands - most of them - have not so shiny forecasts.... Anyway, Gyvybės Medis will make several pagansters have a good time!
| Tracklist |
| 1. Apeigos |
| 2. Vedlys |
| 3. Šviesa |
| 4. Gyvybės Medis |
| 5. Sakalo Vaikai |
| 6. Ąžuolas |
| 7. Geležinis Vilkas |
| 8. Tai Ne Pabaiga |
| 9. Įkaitai |
: 43:14
| Buy other Obtest albums |
