Obtest

Lithuania's Obtest launched their pagan metal journey in 1992, aiming to challenge the Christian church through heretical black metal rooted in medieval history and legends. Roughly five years and multiple demos passed before the band issued its debut album, Tukstantmetis, delivered entirely in Lithuanian and centered on the Ninth century Prussian tribes that mounted a doomed resistance against Christianity's spread throughout Europe. The follow-up full-length, Auka Seniems Dievams, arrived in 2001 and broadened the group's sound past standard black metal conventions by weaving in regional folk melodies; this release came after the preparatory EPs 997 in 1998 and Prisiek in 2000, the latter adorned with imagery of sword-bearing members clad in medieval attire. By the time Iš Kartos a Karta appeared in 2005, vocalist Baalberith, guitarists Sadlave (Evaldas Babenskas) and Enrikas Slavinskis, bassist Demonas (Arturas Gusevas), and drummer Insmuth had channeled their earlier theatrical interests directly into the compositions, yielding a more refined yet still aggressive and rapid collection that embodied their chosen style of heathen war metal. The 2006 EP Prieš Audra and the 2008 album Gyvybës Medis, issued via France's Osmose Productions, advanced further with stronger execution and growing praise, setting the stage for potential wider international recognition.