With a new name being touted almost weekly, it seems as if Finland has more metal bands per square mile than anywhere else on the planet. That said, there’s always room for more, and today, Obscure Fate release their debut single ‘Age of Delusion’, a solid sounding number, bringing together elements of 80s melodic metal, light goth overtones and melodic death metal aspects.

The track kicks off with a solid display of the band’s more melodic chops when a soaring guitar – augmented with a moment of twin lead – hits upon a great riff set against a thunderous rhythm. In some ways, the immediate melody calls back to the late 80s, but there’s a shift into something a little darker when the verse introduces a slightly gloomy vocal. Tapio Möttönen’s delivery isn’t quite as big, or smooth as the music possibly deserves, but given time to adjust, his moderate growl actually gives Obscure Fate an unmistakably Scandinavian influence, with a hint of the melodic death metal from ‘Jokerman’ era In Flames rising to the surface. As things progress, things get heavier still, with a guttural roar on the chorus leaning further into a world of melodic death sounds, but there’s always a strong feeling that Obscure Fate are a really tight musical unit, and that their gift for a huge melody isn’t that far away.

Sure enough, the featured guitar solo brings a wealth of old school charms when Kaleva Kovalainen and Joni Moisanen fill several bars with some very 80s infused sounds, with more clean toned lead work giving way to another perfectly executed twin lead. The arrival of a final chorus allows the melody and main hook to sound familiar right from first play, suggesting that, despite their heavy stance, Obscure Fate’s forthcoming album won’t be short of enjoyable material. Even though some of their core influences might be obvious here, this single is certainly impressive enough for the band to make their own mark within a crowded melodic death metal scene, and there’s plenty within their crossover sound that should be accessible to a broad spectrum of metal fans.