A band is only as strong as the bond between its members…
An unbreakable brotherhood, shared personal history, and proven creative chemistry fortify the bond at the heart of OBEYER. Leveraging the strength of their union to maximum effect, the Northampton, UK quartet—Carl Brown [vocals], Jamie Steadman [guitar], David Bartlett [bass], and Lewis Niven [drums]—pummel with unmatched power, fusing bone-rattling metallic grooves with intricate, yet infectious musicality, subtle melody, piercing screams, and pure pit-ready intensity.
This future-facing signature sound surges to life on their 2024 full-length debut, Chemical Well [3DOT RECORDINGS], and more to come.
“First and foremost, OBEYER is a collective of friends who like making music together,” says Carl. “We’ll always have our friendship. No matter what happens, nothing will stop us from hanging out and creating. We want to push this as far as we can.”
The band cultivated their chemistry and friendship over two decades. The guys connected through the scene in the Midlands. Initially, they congregated under the name LAY SIEGE during 2010. Fan favorite releases followed, including Obolus EP [2012] and hopeisnowhere [2015]. They laid waste to stages and garnered acclaim from the likes of The Guardian and more. Even as the members started families and held down day jobs, they religiously adhered to a weekly jamming schedule, getting together every Sunday.
“When we released our first album, there were no kids, but there are six kids between us today,” laughs Jamie. “There are mortgages and jobs too, but we never stopped talking and playing.”
In early 2020, the musicians planned to make their second full-length LP. However, the pandemic derailed their designs. When the world opened up, the boys felt a shift as they wrote. They had traded six-string guitars for seven-string guitars, widened the palette, and expanded their vision. Simultaneously, they nodded to influences as diverse as Meshuggah, The Acacia Strain, The Mire and Deftones. They also opted to embrace a new moniker and become OBEYER.
“The old LAY SIEGE material didn’t necessarily represent us anymore,” Jamie observes. “We thought it would be good to have a fresh start, because we were coming from a different place. In the past, it was more hardcore with post-metal elements. As time went on, we leaned into metal without losing the hardcore essence. The seven-string made a big difference. I built a computer at home, and that’s where the electronic elements came from.”
“The time allowed us to become more aligned with how we want the band to sound,” adds Carl. “Now is the right moment to introduce what we’re doing.”
Collaborating with producer Sam Bloor, they cut Chemical Well at Lower Lane Studios in Stoke-on-Trent. OBEYER bulldozes the way for the record with the apocalyptically airtight “Second Sun.” Carl’s bellow quakes through a transfixing distorted chug and lumbering groove. This barrage bleeds into an evocative of bridge underpinned by airy clean guitar. The pendulum swings towards another cathartic vocal exorcism, “We’ll all forever dwell deep inside this chemical well.”
“It’s all-out aggression and assault,” grins Carl. “We weren’t fucking around. We wrote ‘Second Sun’ at the end of the process, and we had become comfortable with the sound. The title is in reference to screens. One of the core themes is our overwhelming reliance on technology and its impact on everyone. I’m not saying I’m any different, but take a step back and reflect on how things have changed in the last decade. Social media invariably impacts mental health. When we were kids, this wasn’t a thing. We’ve lost contact as humans.”
Then, there’s “Radiant.” Anxious keys pulsate across tense riffing, building towards a magnetically melodic refrain. Jamie notes, “It was a bit of an outsider. The arrangement is a bit more traditional, but it’s heavy in a different way. The chorus is also big.”
The opener “Witness” sets the tone, tossing and turning restlessly between a cinematic exhale and a crushing sonic stranglehold.
“‘Witness’ was the turning point for us,” Jamie reveals. “We were able to get every element we wanted to in one track. ‘Witness’ was the blueprint. It has the heaviness and the melody.”
The trip concludes on “A Slow Shift To A Cold Shiver.” The keys strain atop a roar of feedback, and the hook teem with stark emotion.
“I actually had the title in my phone notes for a long time, and it led me to explore the lyrical theme,” says Carl. “It felt like a natural way to close out this body of work.”
“It was a bit emotional for me,” Jamie admits. “My dad had passed away before we went into the studio. This was the last song we finished up. I put my guitar down, went outside, and I was in tears. It felt like a bookend to a very tough time in my life.”
He’s grateful to have OBEYER though, and if you give them a shot, you’ll be grateful for their music…
“I’m lucky enough to call these guys my best friends,” Carl leaves off. “I’m surrounded by people who inspire me to express myself, which is key. I’m super excited to play shows and live the dream a little bit with my bandmates.”
“Regardless if we ever made an album or got a tour, we’d still be meeting up to jam on Sundays,” smiles Jamie. “This would keep rolling. Anything else is just a bonus.”