Meet Morris Heilman, Tanis Weber, Jacob Castillo and Vinny Mamak of Oblisc

Today we’d like to introduce you to Morris Heilman, Tanis Weber, Jacob Castillo and Vinny Mamak.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Oblisc started all the way back in 2014, under the moniker “To Perish and Purge”. We were all roughly 15-16 years old at the time and were just getting into writing music. We had an entirely different lineup, with Elex Payne and Felipe Lehtenin on guitars, yet the core group consisting of Morris Heilman (Drums), Jacob Castillo (Vocals), and Tanis Weber (Bass) has remained the same since those early days. Initially, our sound was something akin to 2008 era “Myspace” Deathcore. We wrote a handful of songs that were only recorded with cellphone cameras and played a few shows with that original lineup. In the summer of 2015, after some complications with Payne and Lehtenin, we decided to cut them loose and start searching for another guitarist. We ended up finding Vinny Mamak through Facebook and added him to the lineup as soon as we heard him play, roughly in January of 2016.

We wrote a few songs as a four piece consisting of Heilman, Castillo, Weber, and Mamak, but soon realized that we wanted to add a second guitarist. In steps Leo Espaillat, then a merely 15-year-old kid who conveniently lived on the same block as Heilman where the band practiced. This is the lineup that stuck. Heilman, Castillo, Weber, Mamak, and Espaillat. We wrote an entire album worth of material under the moniker “To Perish and Purge”, and played a few shows with that material. At this point in time, the songs were a mix of Metalcore, traditional old school Heavy Metal, and modern Progressive Metal. In 2018-2019 though, our sound started to develop and change. Along with that, we decided to change moniker. Enter “Oblisc”. With a whole new album worth of songs, we began the quest of recording and releasing the material. Our debut single “Continuum” is the first step in releasing all of the material that we’ve been cultivating over the past years. Be prepared to Attune with the Oblisc, 2020.

Has it been a smooth road?
Our journey as a band has been similar to that of a long term relationship. There have been ups and downs, highs and lows, anger and love towards each other. We’ve been through a lot together, and faced struggles that now seem ridiculous and many that don’t. Arguably most notable struggle that we faced as a band was the necessity of removing Payne and Lehtenin from the band. Due to their involvement with less than legal activities and a couple of arrests, we decided in a hurry that it was time to move on and find new guitarists. Luckily we did because Vinny Mamak and Leo Espaillat are amazing in every way imaginable.

The rest of the struggles we face are still somewhat ongoing, but we look at them as a set of challenges to overcome. Not so much struggles.

Can you give our readers some background on your music?
As Oblisc we specialize in heavy, atmospheric music. We’re known for having a “Big” sound and incorporating technical and progressive elements into the heavy and atmospheric context. We’re currently most proud of our debut single “Continuum” as it is the first big step in our musical journey. What sets us apart from others is our attitude on making music. We only make music for ourselves. No catering to an audience in any form. We live for our art and only hope that others feel how we do.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Denver is about to be incredible for Heavy Progressive music. We have a good amount of incredible bands that are just about to “pop off” so to speak. I know of two bands in our scene that have moved here from out of state because they see what’s about to happen here.

Contact Info:

• Email: obliscband@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/obliscband
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Oblisc/

Image Credit:
Promo photo credit goes to Aaron Huyghue
Album art credit to Zion Diaz

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