There are records that surprise not only because of what they deliver, but also because of the way they were built. ‘Obsessed With Homicide’, by Ephemerality, clearly belongs in that category. From Galați, Romania, and under the form of a one-man project commanded by Negoiță “Necrolater” Ștefan, this material appears as a much more ferocious, solid and well-crafted Death Metal assault than one might expect from a work created by a single person.
The first thing that stands out is the sound. This does not feel like a half-built record or a home recording lost in the darkness. On the contrary: the production is crushing, clear when it needs to be, heavy when it has to strike, and dark enough to always keep a morbid feeling alive. The guitars have weight, the drums push with strength, and the instrumentation remains firm throughout all the songs. There are riffs, there is rhythm, there is intention and, above all, there is very well-directed energy.
Ephemerality does not sound like a band trying to lose itself in absolute chaos. There are sinister moments, there is depth and there is a certain violence that seems to come from far below, but the music never completely falls apart. That is one of its greatest virtues. The album can be dark and aggressive, but it also has structure. The songs move forward with a rather galloping pulse, with a rhythmic force that allows the material to be ferocious without becoming confusing. There is an old school vibe present, but also a carefully built construction.
One of the strongest points of the album is the vocal performance. For me, it is probably one of the best elements of ‘Obsessed With Homicide’. The voice is not there only to sound brutal; it has rhythm, presence and a way of falling over the riffs that fits very well with what is happening in the music. At times it sounds sinister, at others more direct and rhythmic, but it always keeps depth. Even when the album suggests chaos in the distance, the voice helps to hold the identity of the material together.
It is also important to say that there is not too much information circulating about this album. It does not seem to be a record that has received a lot of attention or many reviews, and that makes it even more interesting. In a time when many bands sound too calculated or too concerned with exposure, Ephemerality appears from a more subterranean corner, with a proposal that feels honest, worked-out and driven by real hunger.
And this is where the Romanian context also comes in. Romania, as has happened more than once within extreme metal, once again delivers an unexpected gem from its underground scene. There is something in these kinds of projects that does not sound domesticated or excessively polished by market logic. ‘Obsessed With Homicide’ has the feeling of music made from a personal obsession, from an internal necessity rather than from a formula.
Ephemerality does not appear completely isolated either. There is already a connection with the local underground through the split Unholy Alliance alongside Malignant Providence, another entity from Romanian Death Metal. That detail is interesting, because it shows that the project is not only producing material alone, but also starting to dialogue with a wider scene. Now, the great challenge for Ephemerality seems to be taking this music out of the coffin and bringing it into the real world.
If all the arrangements, instruments and decisions were truly carried out by one single person, then one can only take off the hat. This is not weak or limited material. It is an album with strength, good ideas, a crushing sound and a vocal performance that raises the final result considerably. But precisely because of that, one question remains: how would Ephemerality work with real musicians on a stage?
In the end, ‘Obsessed With Homicide’ is a ferocious, morbid and very well-executed work. It does not need to fall into total chaos to sound dangerous. Its strength lies in the balance between aggression, rhythm, darkness and a surprisingly solid instrumental construction. The next step would be to see this project walking outside the tomb: a live line-up, a show, an opportunity for Ephemerality to look the world scene straight in the eye and show, with its own eyes, what it is trying to say through its music.
