Have you ever heard about the Ancient Astronauts Theory?
Part of this hypothesis is a whole separate science – paleastronautics, which uses ancient myths and legends, according to which the „gods“ in ancient times came down and even lived on Earth.
Several books have been written on the subject, one of which is that of Erich von Deniken, who wrote the book „The Chariot of the Gods“ in 1968 (in Bulgaria it can be found under the name „Memories from the Future“).

Inspired by the mysticism of the „ancient astronauts“, as they are called in many places, the French musicians Obsidyen created their first album „Antediluvian Scriptum“ in 2020, and shortly after that Omega – vocalist and guitarist of the the band – wrote a whole trilogy dedicated to of the „Cult of the Serpent“, which traces the steps of the cult  in various territories of the globe.

The first part of this trilogy is called „Litany of Iah“ and takes place in ancient Egypt.
The mysticism of the Egyptians and the veil that shrouds their entire culture from ancient times to the present day echoes from every note played in the piece, with the musicians subtly weaving in the instrumental and Egyptian traditional melodies that are barely noticeable  most of the time but definitely make a difference when you feel their sound.

The album opens with the cinematic short „Ceux Qui Viennent D’en Haut“ („Those Who descend from above“), sounding like a soundtrack to a grand scene in the style of The Mummy or The Scorpion King. An ethereal and deep female voice floats through the desert, accompanied by whispers and speech, and an epic slow instrumental hints at the arrival of something unknown.

An ominous whisper sends us into ‘LITANY OF IAH’ – the album’s second track, where Omega’s idea unfolds in full force. Fast-paced atmospheric guitars merge with wildly pulsating drums, which, followed by Omega’s furious call, gain their completion.
The song varies in tempo, with KHARON’s guitars definitely in the foreground – the musician  impresses with a beautiful solo, and throughout they bring a certain vertigo to the record, contrasting with the emotionally charged monstrous vocals, which, although fiery, radiate an ancient power, light and knowledge of secrets and past times.

„They will sing the litany of Iah
And when the scarlet tragedy comes
For all to join the pit of death
They will come to Earth to take us all
Then our sins will be brought before the cosmic justice
Each one will know that their true nature
Has no more prestige than dust“

And while in the third song of the album, „AN ANCIENT AGE“, the musicians reveal in more detail the story of the Cult of the Serpent and the melancholy of the fading memories of the great architects, the next – „THE PASSENGER OF NOUT“ is an appeal to the goddess Nut for knowledge, strength and direction. The finale of the song sends us off with a chant of the mistress of the heavens descending to hear the passenger’s plea.

„My goddess of stars…
Take me away, take me away
Among the travelers, among the creators
Among the dancing suns
Far from suffering and torment
Far from wars and false sovereigns
Far from men and their madness
Make me a complete being among
Those who come from Above“

With the next two pieces, the finale of the title is placed.
In the atmospheric „THE ETERNAL CONFINEMENT“ the vocalist erupts to a whole new level and the solos go from the typical tremolo to psychedelia, surrounded by Nut’s chants, and throughout the song we can hear several different shifts in the rhythm and guitars, finally fading into almost acoustic melodies.

And all this overflows into cold atmospheres of the final „APOPHIS“, which welcomes the power of Apophis, the Egyptian god of Chaos. A magnificent and monolithic almost 11-minute opus.
In the song I noticed a bit too much  djent bass vibes for my taste at some parts, and I didn’t like how they distracted me from the beautiful atmospheres in some small parts of the song, but on the other hand, the rest of the beautiful piece of art definitely compensated for this (in my opinion) small flaw – the furious vocals , charming fast guitars and last but not least, the whispered words in French at the end…it was a mighty adventure.

„Silver shadows materialize from nothingness
The rebirth of perpetual balance
In order to restore the truth
Thou who were betrayed by thy fathers
In an archaic jealousy
Overwhelmed by despair
Thou could surpass them with thy magnificence
Cold-blooded perfection
Alone, defeated and rejected
Thou have always risen“

Mystical, bold and capturing the hidden knowledge of the Ancients, „Litany of Iah“ is one of the more distinct works in the music radar at the moment. With an experimental sound, combining a range of techniques, the band recreates its narrative of the eras long before the creation of humanity as we know it in our own era.

Score : 8/10
„Great“

For now, you can listen to two of the tracks from the album (the full release is coming  tomorrow). Here they are:

Band: Obsidyen
Album: „Litany of Iah“
Release date: November 17th, 2023
Label: Drowning In Chaos Records
Order link: https://bit.ly/47ewQnn