Oblivion (metal band)
Bay Area technical death metal band with two doctorates.
Oblivion is a technical death metal band from the Bay Area, formed in 2007. The group has released three studio albums, one demo, and several music videos. Its members have played in other notable metal acts such as Antagony, All Shall Perish, Hacksaw to the Throat, Alchemicon, Feast, and Fractals. The band is unusual for including a university professor with a doctorate in music and another member with a doctorate in mathematics. Oblivion is currently signed to Unique Leader, with plans to release multiple albums through the label. A reissue of their debut album, *Called to Rise*, came out on October 15, 2013.
The band’s history began in 2007 when Ted O’Neill, a Bay Area thrash metal veteran returning after a two-decade break, looked for musicians to play with. His previous band, Alchemicon, had disbanded after appearing on the Metal Blade Records compilation *Complete Death*. O’Neill teamed up with Joe Ellis, a seasoned session guitarist in the local scene, but the duo needed another element to shape their sound. They brought in Nick Vasallo, an award-winning composer and music professor who had founded Antagony and fronted several other Bay Area bands, as lead vocalist and bassist. The three started writing immediately and recorded at their own studio, with reamping by Zack Ohren at Castle Ultimate Studios in Oakland. Their first released song, “Annunaki,” went viral alongside a video that got over 5,000 views in 24 hours; their first studio session video received 20,000 views in three weeks. After the demo CD came out, John Haag and Joe Ellis were replaced by Luis Martinez and Victor Dods.
The band secured official trademark of the name “Oblivion” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, despite other bands using the same name. Members are endorsed by KxK Guitars, Rhodes Amplification, Ibanez, Ernie Ball, Mesa Boogie, Fractal Audio, In Tune guitar picks, WeNeedMerch.com, VIPmerch.com, and ENGL.
Musically, Oblivion blends death metal, black metal, and thrash metal. Nick Vasallo’s vocals shift between death growls, inward subtone singing, and high-pitched screams. Unlike many peers, the band avoids lyrics about religion, war, politics, or gore. Their name means “the condition or state of being forgotten or unknown,” so they write about Earth’s buried history.
Current members include Ted O’Neil (guitar, since 2007), Nick Vasallo (vocals, ba
- formed
- 2007
- origin
- Bay Area, United States
- genre
- Technical death metal
- label
- Unique Leader
- notable_members
- Ted O'Neill, Nick Vasallo, Victor Dods
- debut_album
- Called to Rise
Lore & Background
Oblivion was formed in 2007 when Bay Area thrash metal veteran Ted O'Neill, whose previous band Alchemicon had broken up after appearing on the Metal Blade Records compilation 'Complete Death,' sought musicians to play with. He partnered with session guitarist Joe Ellis, and the duo recruited Nick Vasallo, an award-winning composer and professor of music who had founded Antagony and fronted several other Bay Area bands, as lead vocalist and bassist. The trio began writing songs immediately and recorded at their in-house studio, with reamping courtesy of Zack Ohren at Castle Ultimate Studios in Oakland, California. Their first released song 'Annunaki' went viral with a simultaneous video release that received over 5000 hits in 24 hours, and their first studio session video received 20,000 views in three weeks.
After their demo CD was
Reader's Guide
Oblivion stands out in the technical death metal scene for its unusual combination of academic expertise and extreme metal. The presence of a member with a doctorate in music who is also a university professor, alongside another member with a doctorate in mathematics, gives the band a distinctive intellectual profile uncommon in the genre. Their debut album, Called to Rise, was reissued on October 15, 2013, and the band is signed to Unique Leader with plans to release multiple albums through the label. Their viral early success with the song 'Annunaki' and subsequent video views demonstrated an ability to reach audiences beyond typical metal circles. The band's lyrical focus on forgotten earth history, rather than standard death metal themes, further distinguishes them. Their ownership of the band name through the USPTO and multiple endorsements indicate a professional approach to their career. The band's formation story, involving a thrash metal veteran returning after two decades away from the scene, adds a layer of historical continuity within Bay Area metal.
Did You Know?
- One member of Oblivion has a doctorate degree in music and is a university professor, while another has a doctorate in mathematics.
- Their first released song 'Annunaki' received over 5000 hits in 24 hours after its video release.
- The band officially secured ownership of the name Oblivion with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
- A reissue of their debut album, Called to Rise, was released on October 15, 2013.
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