From the Sheol to the Apeiron

Obscura Qalma are the result of musicians from several other Italian bands coming together to make an arcane strain of Black/Death that's striving to do something different. They describe their sound as "Blackened heavily orchestrated Death Metal" and cite the likes of Behemoth and Septicflesh as influences, all of which risks making them sound overblown and pretentious. Thankfully, their rather ostentatiously titled debut EP, From the Sheol to the Apeiron, is actually a pretty solid splash of intricate Black/Death blasting mixed with eclectic melodic work and some subtle orchestrations that give the album an air of mysticism that's reminiscent of albums like Sumerian Daemons. There's nothing really first rate on here, and the compositions can get a bit baggy, but the ambition and complexity on display is enough to keep my attention throughout and makes me want to see where they go from here. Promising.