They’ve Polish, Hungarian and Italian roots…and are based in London. This is Obiat, who are so hat stand you’d never dare to put your hat on ‘em. They’ve give us the latest Track Of The Day, so download it…if you dare! Check out all the latest Tracks Of The Day.

Words: Sleazegrinder

Pan-cultural, pie-eyed, psychedelic post-doom pill-shovelers Obiat have one of the thorniest, twistiest family trees ever. One dude’s from Italy, another’s from Hungary, a third is from Poland, and the fourth guy, Neil…well, he’s the British one, naturally. Obiat currently call the UK their home, but clearly, theirs is a global concern, and the music ably demonstrates that. A deep, disquieting headphone trip that drifts woozily from Middle-Eastern tone poems to crunching neo doom, serial killer frash, and no-helmet space prog, Obiat’s constantly shifting sound is like a sentient iPod that secretly plots to kill. while it lulls you into a bludgeon rock trance.
 
The band formed in the late ’90s, in the Polish town of Szczecin. Guitarist Rafal Reutt is the founding member; originally a three-piece, the band developed their fluid approach to heavy rock in Poland, but it wasn’t until Reutt moved to London and began searching for a solid line-up that he chanced upon the ‘voice’ of Obiat – Hungarian singer Lazlo Pallagi. The two Eastern Europeans bonded culturally and musically, and Obiat’s acid-stuffed calliope ride to oblivion began in earnest.
 
The band has so far released three albums, each one top heavy with guest-musicians, weird instrumentation (a hurdy-gurdy?), and a wild sense of experimentation. Their latest, Eye Tree Pi (Small Stone), is perhaps their most cohesive, groove-oriented work yet. It’s still nuts, though. The album was produced and engineered by Chris Fielding (Napalm Death, Electric Wizard) and mixed by dop -rock super producer Billy Anderson (Melvins, High on Fire, Mr. Bungle). Given that sort of pedigree, it goes without saying that it will melt your brain into a puddle. Tribal and hypnotic and heavy as Sabbath on a steady diet of french fries, Eye Tree Pi is everything you could possibly want from a bunch of dudes who grew up under the yoke of Communism, and had to buy their Led Zep records under bridges at midnight.
 
So what do you say we taste some of this madness for ourselves? Here, courtesy of Small Stone Records, is Serpent’s Rites, from the new album. It’s sort of like an alternat -dimension Metallica freaking out in the bathroom during a Hawkwind show. Something like that.
http://rapidshare.com/files/360917752/03_Serpents__Rites.mp3
 
If you like it, show Obiat some support at their website:
http://www.obiat.com/