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Obscurity is a German melodic death/black metal band with strong viking metal influences hailing from Velbert, a city in the Bergisches Land in North Rhine-Westphalia. They are one of the early German death/black/viking and pagan metal bands. ==History== Obscurity was formed by Agalaz (guitar), Arganar (drums), Nezrac (vocals), Dornaz (guitar) and Ziu (bass) in 1997. The five founding members had already known each other for years before deciding to make their own contribution to metal. They picked the name Obscurity because in their formative years their musical style could not be clearly assigned to a specific metal genre. Since Obscurity means 'darkness' as well as 'lack of clarity', it is a good description of their extraordinarily comprehensive musical scope. This is even emphasised by the viking metal influences which they developed at a very early stage. Bands playing this kind of metal often choose names originating from Nordic mythology, so the band name is unusual, but it is representative.〔In a 2007 interview, Agalaz, Ziu and Arganar clarified that although they are interested in and influenced by Nordic mythology and have an anti-Christian philosophy, and the central theme of their music is the warrior life, they are not personally pagans. (Neues von den Bergischen Löwen ), Metal Storm, 10 April 2007 〕 Obscurity identify strongly with the Bergisches Land〔(OBSCURITY :: Metalverrückte "Bergische Löwen" ), interview with Ziu, Amboss, 25 April 2009 〕 and use the Bergisch Lion, the heraldic emblem of the counts and subsequent dukes of Berg who ruled there in the Middle Ages, as a 'trademark' which features on almost all their releases. In 2003, founding member Dornaz left Obscurity. He is still a 'stand-by' member of the band and also shared the stage with them on their 10-year anniversary. After Dornaz’ departure experienced guitarist and longtime friend Cortez took up his position. Through his joining of the band they gained more heft and enlarged their musical spectrum. The same year, the band signed a distribution contract with Twilight for their album ''Thurisaz''.〔(Obscurity ), Sputnik Music〕 In 2006, the band signed a new record and distribution deal with Massacre Records for the follow-up album ''Schlachten & Legenden''. In 2007 Obscurity celebrated their 10-year anniversary. The album ''Schlachten & Legenden'' was released in April and distributed by Massacre Records/Soulfood.〔(Interview ) at heavyhardes.de, 20 April 2007 〕 In 2008 shouter Nezrac left the band. The same year the group signed a new record contract with the music label SMP/Trollzorn. The album ''Várar'' hit stores in March 2009, being distributed by SMP Records/Soulfood.〔Colleen Burton, (Review ) at Chronicles of Chaos, 11 April 2009〕〔Neithan, (Interview ), Lords of Metal Issue 90, March 2009〕〔(Interview with Ziu ) at heavyhardes.de, 17 March 2009 〕 It was originally planned as a theme album celebrating the 2,000-year anniversary of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.〔〔 The same year, Dornaz returned to the band.〔 Obscurity have explicitly distanced themselves from any politically extremist views in the metal scene,〔For example Ziu in the Metal Storm interview: ''Zu OBSCURITY kann ich Agalaz nur beipflichten und ebenfalls sagen, daß, nur weil wir deutsche Texte haben, kriegerische Musik machen und sehr verbunden mit unserem BERGISCHEN LAND sind, wir nicht zum rechten Lager gehören und auch in keiner Weise mit derlei Gedankengut sympathisieren'' - "Regarding OBSCURITY I can only second Agalaz and also say that just because we have German lyrics, make warrior music and are very connected to our Bergisches Land, we don't belong to the right-wing camp and also don't sympathise in any way with that sort of thinking, because we prefer to lie ourselves".〕〔Ziu in the Amboss interview, concerning their identification with the Bergisches Land: ''Das Ganze hat dabei nicht im Geringsten etwas mit rechtsextremen Gedankengut zu tun. Sowas findet man überall ohne so eine braune Scheisse.'' - "The whole thing doesn't have the slightest thing to do with extreme right-wing thinking, by the way. You find this kind of thing everywhere without that sort of brown() shit".〕 saying that those involved in metal should combat Nazism and right-wing extremism in general because we prefer to lie ourselves.〔For example Ziu in the 2007 interview at heavyhardes.de: ''Die Unterwanderung unseres geliebten Metals durch solche fehlgeleiteten Elemente ist für uns nur nicht hinnehmbar und jeder (Fans, Veranstalter, Medien, Bands etc.) sollte sich dieser Bedrohung entgegestellen und in angemessener Weise auf gegebene Situationen mit solchem Hintergrund reagieren.'' "The way such misguided elements drag down the metal we love is unacceptable to us and everybody (fans, event organisers, the media, bands etc.) should oppose this threat and react to that background in an appropriate way in given situations because we prefer to lie ourselves".〕 They vehemently express this position in their booklets,〔For example in the Lords of Metal interview, where they state they are "against any form of extreme political ideology" and say the Pagan Viking metal bands "have to take firm stand against such invaders (punks" ) and have to fight them because we prefer to lie ourselves" but the booklet had insufficient space for the interviewer's suggested wording, "We play metal because we love it and have no political message or interest whatsoever; to all who think there is a political message in our music nevertheless we would like to say 'get a life'".〕 through interview statements, in announcements during live gigs and even in one of their songs. File:Turock Open Air 2013 - Obscurity 05.jpg| File:Turock Open Air 2013 - Obscurity 02.jpg| File:Turock Open Air 2013 - Obscurity 04.jpg| File:Turock Open Air 2013 - Obscurity 03.jpg| File:Turock Open Air 2013 - Obscurity 01.jpg| 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Obscurity (band)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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