PARIAH - Blaze Of Obscurity Re-issue - Yellow Vinyl

Pariah’s cult album re-issued! “Blaze of Obscurity” brings you pure Thrash Metal fury! Satan
changed their name to Pariah in 1988-1989.
There’s Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, the list seems almost endless.
Sub-genres are important in metal and bands are quickly classified and labeled.
Pariah (the last re-incarnation of Satan) is one of few bands that are difficult if not impossible
to classify. Is it Heavy metal? NWOBHM? Thrash Metal? Pariah did not make it easy
to describe their sound. It might be too sophisticated to simply label it Heavy Metal, which in
its infancy was a rather simple affair. They don’t sound like any Metal band out there,
perhaps discounting some of the more aggressive and technical ones, and then the
signature NWOBHM sound is added.
The guitar playing by Russ Tippins and Steve Ramsey is undeniably what defines Pariah as
well as Satan in the past. Undeniably, Satan has gone a long way; from humble
NWOBHM beginnings, to Experimental/Melodic Mettal (in Blind Fury) and something that
could be described as a NWOBHM/Thrash Metal hybrid (“The Kindred”). It’s as if
they’ve been experimenting trying to find their identity, and theyfinally found it. Stylistically,
“Blaze of Obscurity” could be seen a step back to “Suspended Sentence”, but this time
around they got everything right, down to the last note.
Those who have heard Satan know what to expect: great guitar playing. And sure enough,
“Blaze of Obscurity” is a demonstration of guitar mastery and is overall a very
guitar-driven album, with plenty of mind-boggling riffs and solos are all over the place, but
more importantly, it’s a demonstration of some amazing songwriting as well. This is
easily Pariah/Satan’s creative peak and one of the most consistent albums I’ve ever heard,
featuring eight great and conceptually perfect songs with lyrics that come across as
sophisticated and thought-provoking.
It is not fair to put the entire spotlight on Tippins and Ramsey though since the drumming
and bass work from Sean Taylor and Graham English really shines. The rhythm is fast and
tight, keeping it focused, aggressive and intense till the end. Vocalist Michael Jackson (yes,
that’s his name) has to be commended too as this is easily his careers best performance.
The verdict: “Blaze of Obscurity”: the level of musical genius expressed here, along with near
flawless songwriting, is more than enough to skyrocket it to heights reserved only for
classics. Probably not your choice for some light listening those quiet Sunday evenings, but
those who take a more serious, intellectual approach when selecting their music will
find very much to appreciate here.

Vinyl release of Pariah - Blaze Of Obscurity Re-issue - Yellow Vinyl. Released through Hammerheart Records - NAPALM and available on LP.