UMUR "The Views Obscured" is the debut full-length studio album by German technical/progressive metal act Mind-Ashes. The album was released through AFM Records in January 1997. Mind-Ashes formed in 1993 and released the "Soul Manipulation" (1994) demo and the "Thoughts" (1995) EP, before getting signed for the release of "The Views Obscured". The band released two further albums and then disbanded in 2003.

The first thing you notice when listening to "The Views Obscured" is the high level musicianship. These guys are technically skilled and they incorporate loads of that technical skill to their music. To my ears especially two artists come to mind and that´s Sanctuary and especially Death/Control Denied. Mind-Ashes use many of the same types of scales, rhythms, and notes that Chuck Schuldiner were known for using, and may I add on an equally high performance level. The musicianship on this album is at times jaw-dropping virtuosic. The vocals are a combination of raw shouting and slightly more melodic singing and screaming. It´s definitely one of the assets of the album that the vocals are so diverse.

"The Views Obscured" features a sound production, which is clear, powerful, and detailed, perfectly suiting the complexity and sophistication of the music, but still presenting it in a raw and powerful fashion. The songwriting is interesting too, and the progressive song structures are intriguing and keep the listener on his/her toes. I consider "The Views Obscured" a bit of a lost gem to those who are interested in technical/progressive metal and it´s too bad it´s almost impossible to come by anymore. Hopefully it´ll see a reprint one of these days, and a chance for the album to be given a second opportunity to be noticed. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.