Australian Progressive Metal powerhouse NE OBLIVISCARIS has unveiled their newest music video for the track “Equus” off their album Exul set to debut in March 24th, 2023 courtesy of Season of Mist.

To comment on the video’s powerful message, the band said “Equus’ is dedicated to the lives lost during the lethal bushfires that scarred Australia in 2019-2020. Alongside the people who died or were affected, many millions if not billions of animals were killed or displaced from their natural habitats, the enormity of this is something that will never be forgotten, and should not be ignored. It is also a warning that the world we live in is changing from the damage we as a species have contributed to. Within this video, the dancer represents a scorched Mother Earth, from horror to humanity, ever in tune with the heart and flow of the song (and world), and ultimately aware of the inevitable and ever growing destructive cycle we are in.”

A video that paints in false golds and whites. A portrayal of sophisticated musical complexity exquisitely expressed in a mix of classical pulls and darkened vocal dynamic. A pleasure of shadowed conspiracies and blame and the vanity in restraint and hesitation. Contrasting vocals emphasize these qualities leading from the hastened spark to the crackling embers that grow to consume.

From ashes, new life is born – renewed, but at what cost?. Velvet violin chords flicker like tear drops against the fire light, building on the drums in the deep and the nightmarish riffs that facilitate the depth of this lyrical epiphany. A brilliant composition of harsh truths and the risks involved – that though as death and destruction may consume, the lingering darkness does not always settle in. It does not dwell, and from it stems new life and the chance to repair and learn from consequence. However, though there is brightness in shadow, the pain may cut deeply, and the melody that flows through the visuals of this track hit heavy, and hard.

The video is striking, revealing a helpless Mother Earth as she watches, constricted by the evils of man until our hands stretch too far and she wails in a fit of pain and despair – burned and maimed by the fallacies of mankind. The purity in her sadness as she reaches down to collect the skull from one of her fallen children is divine in its simplicity and tormented expression – a well of tears presented not only through visuals but the slow rise of strings. Delicate vocals are cascaded upon by the instrumental brilliance that flow to fluidly explain the tragedy, the hurt, and the sheer agony that conquers to consume.

Melodic solos and torrential drumming amplify the energy and emotion of this track, taking it from balanced and expressive to utterly heart-breaking. Truly a masterful piece in both its message and execution; with a music video that pairs well as it is not simply meant to be looked at but, to be reflected upon and learned from.

You can pre-order your copy of Exul via the direct link, and pre-save it on your favourite Streaming service. You can also find out more about Ne Obliviscaris via Season of Mist’s site, and follow them on Bandcamp, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also support the band directly through their Patreon for news, announcements, and behind-the-scenes goodies!