REVIEW: Obstruktion - The End Takes Form

Swedish hardcore band Obstruktion broke out in the metal scene in 2021 after the release of their debut album, Monarchs of Decay. The band's sound is a mixture of metallic hardcore and old-school Swedish death metal, taking the aggression of both into a fusion of fury. The group, made up of Toni Hasee on base, William Sjoberg on drums, Jonas Nordstrom covering vocals, and both E Lundberg Karlsson and Mattias Rasmusson on guitar, are known for their intense riffs and dark lyrics. Now across the nine tracks of The End Takes Form, Obstruktion have absolutely taken their sound to the next level with an even darker theme and bone shaking riffs that will leave their mark on the music scene.

Title track 'The End Takes Form' has an incredible riff that bounces throughout the song, keeping it incredibly lively whilst simultaneously putting into perspective and setting high standards of what we expect to hear throughout the full nine songs.  

Seamlessly diving into the next track ‘Death Comes Near’, Obstruktion continues to satisfy us metalheads with these crushing guitar riffs and striking drumming. But what mostly stood out to us in this track is the extreme vocals and lyrics. “When death comes near” and “Nowhere to hide when death comes near”  is repeated throughout, really emphasising the lyrical meaning to the song as the band talks about death and loss in a way we may not be familiar with. 

Obstruktion really have taken their sound to another level while also keeping the dark and gripping themes that fans love; the topic of death is mentioned multiple times throughout these songs but is most evident in ‘Death Comes Near’, ‘The Final Hour’ and ‘Only In Death’. While these may be dark themes, the aggressive vocals really send a message, and through these songs the band shows off their willingness to accept death in all its forms. It’s heavy as hell, but Jonas delivers the vocals with such passion and talent while also mastering the hardcore aggression, so there is no doubt this album will be a big hit in the scene. 

The last song on this album, ‘Born Of Contempt’, stands out immediately - in no small part due to it's ten minute run time. The guitar riff can be heard slowly gaining momentum, speeding up throughout, and when the drumming kicks in you know you're in for a heavy treat. Around half way through the vocals come in and take this song to a whole new level, finishing the album in devastating fashion.

Obstruktion has impressed us with this album and fans will definitely love it, as the band have managed to take their original sound and produce something heavier, darker and more intense. They have gifted us with their hardcore vocals, their emotive lyricism, and passionate musicality, to foster a powerful listening experience. We are eager to hear what's next from them.

Score: 7/10

The End Takes Form was released on May 30th 2025.

Words: Kelsey Mainwaring

Photos: Obstruktion