Formation and Illegimitation (2002–2003) Obscura was formed in late 2002 by guitarist
Steffen Kummerer, drummer Jonas Baumgartl, guitarist Armin Seitz and bassist/vocalist Martin Ketzer with the name Illegimitation. Performing local shows, the band booked their own concept tour in
Bavaria called "Blasting Bavaria Tour" in 2003, followed by editions in 2004, 2005 and 2007. The band recorded their first and only self titled demo in November 2003 with producer V.Santura (
Triptykon,
Pestilence,
Dark Fortress). The demo contained four songs, received positive feedback within southern Germany and took root in underground circles. In early 2004, both Ketzer and Seitz left the band. On second guitar, Stephan Bergbauer joined to record their debut album in Summer 2004.
Retribution (2004–2007) The band entered Mastersound Studios in Fellbach, Germany with producer
Alexander Krull of
Atrocity,
Leaves' Eyes who pushed the band within a three-week lasting recording session. During the recordings the band was renamed after the
Gorguts album
Obscura. Finished in August 2004, Obscura self-released
Retribution on 7 July 2005 and immediately started to work on a follow-up release the same year. With the addition of Markus Lempsch on guitar and Jonas Fischer on bass the band re-released Retribution on their own label and toured alongside
Suffocation within Europe in 2006. Performing at
Brutal Assault Festival in Czech Republic, Mountains of Death Festival in Switzerland and Up From the Ground Festival in Germany, Obscura gained their fanbase and established a proper following in central Europe. In 2007, Obscura performed in several festivals in Europe, followed by their first headlining tour in Southern and Eastern Europe with
Agonize. The tour started in Athens, Greece and contained 22 shows in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Hungary, Slovakia, Germany and France. While Markus Lempsch and Jonas Baumgartl left the band in early 2007, Obscura performed as a three piece with session drummer Matthias Landes of
Dark Fortress and
Noneuclid. Johannes Rennig (
Profanity) entered Obscura on guitar in October 2007. In November 2007, drummer
Hannes Grossmann (ex-
Necrophagist) and fretless bassist
Jeroen Paul Thesseling (ex-
Pestilence) were recruited as new permanent members, followed by guitarist
Christian Münzner (ex-
Necrophagist) in February 2008 to replace Johannes Rennig.
Cosmogenesis (2008–2010) In September 2008, Obscura signed with
Relapse Records and released its second full-length album
Cosmogenesis in early 2009. The album sold around 900 copies in the US in its first week and debuted at number 71 on the Top New Artist Albums chart. The band started their first-ever North American tour as part of the Cosmogenesis Worldtour in April 2009 alongside
Cannibal Corpse. Within one year the band played more than 160 shows all over the world as support for
Atheist,
the Black Dahlia Murder and Cannibal Corpse. Their first headliner US tour followed, supported by
Abysmal Dawn. Obscura toured Japan as support for
Nile and
Triptykon in 2010. On 16 February 2010, Obscura reissued their debut album
Retribution, remastered and repackaged with three bonus tracks. Obscura's official guitar tablature book for
Cosmogenesis was released on 5 January.
Cosmogenesis was listed by Metal Storm as one of the 100 most important death metal albums.
Omnivium (2011–2013) with his seven-string signature Ran guitar Obscura released
Omnivium on 29 March 2011. The record was written over a period of two years, with members writing songs and sending them to each other over the internet. On a lyrical basis the album dealt with religion and the evolution of humankind, with Kummerer taking significant influence from Friedrich Schelling's "On Nature's Connection to the Spirit World" The album earned positive feedback around the world and entered US and German charts, selling 2,000 within the first week of release in the US. It debuted at number 11 on the USA's
Top Heatseekers chart, and at number 14 on Germany's
Media Control Newcomer chart. The artwork for the album follows a specific color scheme as part of a four-album concept sequence. Orion Landau, who also published the artwork for the last two albums, was responsible for developing Kummerer's ideas for the cover art. Thesseling was replaced with
Linus Klausenitzer of the progressive death metal band Noneuclid, the band making the announcement in September 2011. Obscura started the 164 concert-long Omnivium Worldtour in their home town of
Landshut, Germany, followed by a full European tour alongside
Hate Eternal,
Beneath the Massacre and
Defiled. They also played a five-week tour supporting
Children of Bodom and
Devin Townsend within North America. On 10 August the band announced their first southeast Asian headlining tour, performing in Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. In November and December the same year a North American headlining tour followed, supported by
Abysmal Dawn and
Last Chance to Reason. In March–April 2012 the band headlined a European run with support by
Spawn of Possession,
Gorod and Exivious. To promote
Omnivium, the band played a first headlining tour in Japan alongside
Beneath the Massacre and Defiled in June 2012. In 2013 Obscura embarked on a European Tour alongside
Death, with most of the shows sold out and Kummerer performing Death songs every evening. left
Necrophagist in 2006 before joining Obscura In late 2011 Obscura started an online
crowdfunding scheme to pay for the release of a combination of their first demo, demos from the
Cosmogenesis pre-production sessions and three cover songs from the bands Death, Atheist and Cynic. Within 60 days the band generated $14,600 in fan donations, almost five times their financial target. In celebration of their tenth year as a band, the band played a special anniversary show on 15 December 2012, in Landshut, Germany, with support from
Dark Fortress and
Hokum. The show featured a reunion of the early members who recorded the first demo,
Illegimitation. This show also marked the end of the Omnivium Worldtour. In March 2013, Obscura embarked on a European Tour supported by
Aeon, Deadborn and Over Your Threshold.
Akróasis (2014–2017) In 2014, guitarist
Christian Münzner left the band due to creative differences and his inability to tour as a result of his
focal dystonia muscle spasms. Additionally,
Hannes Grossmann left at the same time, citing his own interests in forming a separate band. Obscura was scheduled to tour the US with the new line up as a part of the 2015 Summer Slaughter Tour, but despite early applications for visas they were unable to perform. Prior to releasing the band's fourth record
Akroasis Obscura announced Munich Guitar Institute graduate Rafael Trujillo as their new permanent lead guitarist, replacing Geldschläger who was released from his duties by Kummerer during the album production as of July 2015. Obscura embarked on the "Akroasis World Tour" in Rome, Italy at 30 March alongside
Death DTA. A Summer tour visiting major festivals such as
Graspop Metal Meeting, Hammersonic Festival, Metaldays and many more followed in July and August. On 20 June, Obscura announced their headlining European tour supported by
Revocation,
Beyond Creation and
Rivers of Nihil. Obscura then performed as part of the "Akroasis World Tour" three shows in Mexico. Being part of
Sepultura's Machine Messiah Tour 2018, Obscura supported the major act on a four-week long tour in Europe and the UK. Opening acts have been the US American bands
Goatwhore and
Fit for an Autopsy. With many shows sold out, this tour has been the biggest run in Europe for the band up to this date. In April 2018 the band returned to Japan, supported headlining the "Akroasis Japan Tour 2018", as part of the Akroasis World Tour. Support acts have been Canadian technical death metal band
Archspire, and French death metal group Xaon. Due to great demand Obscura played two shows in Tokyo.
Diluvium (2018–2020) In January 2018, the band announced that they have completed their fifth full-length album,
Diluvium which was released on 13 July 2018 via
Relapse. To promote the album, the band has announced a major headlining tour in North America in September and October 2018 with
Beyond Creation,
Archspire, Inferi and Exist as support acts. In 2019 followed by the European leg with
Fallujah,
Allegaeon and First Fragment, Obscura went the first time to Australia and New Zealand before returning to Japan to headline a row of tours under the banner
Diluvium. Supported by
Jinjer and
Alarum the band grew their fanbase in both Asia and Australia to new heights. In March and April 2020 the band embarked on a European tour supported by Dutch death metal veterans
God Dethroned,
Thulcandra and
Fractal Universe. Covering Scandinavia, southern and central Europe as well as the Baltics, the 'Diluvium Europa' Tour became one of the most successful tours for the band.
A Valediction (2020–2024) In April 2020, Obscura announced guitarist Rafael Trujillo, bassist Linus Klausenitzer and drummer Sebastian Lanser parting ways with the band due to musical differences. Shortly after the band announced that former fretless bass player
Jeroen Paul Thesseling and former guitarist
Christian Münzner rejoined the band. Their sixth album
A Valediction was released on 19 November 2021, on
Nuclear Blast. Also in November 2021, Obscura announced a 49 date long North American tour with shows in Canada, the United States and Mexico, featuring
Abysmal Dawn,
Vale of Pnath and
Interloper in support of the album that took place in 2022. For September and October 2022, Obscura announced a European Tour promoting "A Valediction" with support from
Disillusion and
Persefone. For February and March 2023, Obscura announced a North American tour alongside co-headliners
Fleshgod Apocalypse, special guests
Wolfheart and
Thulcandra. Obscura also returned to Australia, playing a metal concert festival in Melbourne called Into the Fall, co-headlining with
Gatecreeper. Obscura announced a 10-dates Latin American headlining tour, covering Argentinia, Brazil, Chile and more countries for October and November 2023. As closing show of the Latin American tour, Obscura performed alongside
Gojira and
Mastodon at MexicoMetal Festival, Monterrey. Additionally, a 17-date long UK and Ireland tour with Polish band
Decapitated has been announced for November and December 2023. On November 7th, the band confirmed a European co-headlining tour with American progressive metal band
Cynic, to be supported by Dutch thrash metal band
Cryptosis. The tour under the monicker
"The Focus Of A Valediction Tour" took place and wrapped up the “A Valediction World Tour” in March 2024.
A Sonication (2024–present) The band confirmed a 23-date European headlining tour with support bands
Rings Of Saturn and
Gorod to embark in February 2025. In April and May 2025, Obscura headlined the annual North American festival tour called “Shred Fest”, supported by US American groups
Atheist,
Origin,
Decrepit Birth and French progressive act
Fractal Universe. With 34 concerts, the trek covered the United States and Canada extensively. In June the band announced the third leg of their “A Sonication World Tour” to cover Eastern and Southern Europe in September and October 2025. Support bands have been confirmed with Greek thrash band
Suicidal Angels, Italian death metal group
Hideous Divinity and veteran Italian progressive death/thrash act
Sadist. In October the band announced their return to Japan with a 5 dates long tour called "The Sun Eater", as part of their world tour. Supporting acts are US American progressive death metal band
Fallujah, and French modern metal act Dvrk. In December the band announced their return to the United States with the "Stardust" tour, lasting 23 concerts, and being part of the ongoing "A Sonication World Tour", supported by US American groups
Allegaeon, and Cognitive, as well as Dutch sci-fi thrash metal band Cryptosis. Obscura has been confirmed for Europes biggest heavy metal festival
Hellfest, located in France, and Asias largest rock and metal fest
Hammersonic Fest, located in Indonesia. In January 2026, the band announced a four week long Asian tour named "The Sun Eater // Asia 2026", to cover India, Japan, China, South Korea, Armenia, Georgia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, Mongolia and the United Arab Emirates. Supports are French modern metal band Dvrk, and for selected Japanese dates US progressive metal band
Fallujah. On January 20th, the band announced an 11-date lasting tour in Australia and New Zealand, headlining the annual touring festival Shred Fest featuring support acts
Fallujah, Ashen and Anoxia. == Musical styles and lyrical themes ==