---
The moment Angel of Death went live, it was like dropping a match into a dry forest.
Within the first hour, the official music video racked up 400,000 views. By noon, it had broken 700,000. By midnight—over a million. Social media exploded. Comments flooded in faster than the system could even notify Rex.
> "WHAT IS THIS SONG? Obsidian Saints just made metal scary again. I love it."
"Those vocals. That riff. That solo. This is the sound of the apocalypse."
"This band is on something else. Who the hell are these guys???"
In his apartment, Rex sat with his legs up on the desk, sipping a cheap energy drink, eyes wide as the numbers surged.
Kai scrolled through the comments, his eyebrows raised. "Bro… we broke trending. We're number three globally."
Ash paced back and forth, a grin on his face. "Number three? We dropped this heavy and they still let us on trending?"
Silas chuckled, tapping his drumsticks on his knees. "I guess they don't know what to do with real metal anymore."
Even Samuel, who usually kept a calm, calculated demeanor, was too excited to hide his satisfaction. "Boys, this is not just traction. This is wildfire. You've stirred something deep in the underground—and the mainstream's peeking in."
---
Critics Respond
The first article to hit was from Volume Pulse, a respected alt-music magazine:
> "Obsidian Saints' Angel of Death is a sonic battering ram. Violent, unrelenting, yet artfully composed, it evokes dread and awe in equal measure. This is not just a song. It's a statement."
Then came Loud Truth:
> "Few modern bands are willing to approach such a sensitive, historical subject with this much raw aggression. And yet, Angel of Death doesn't glorify—it devastates. It challenges. It demands a reaction."
But the reactions weren't all praise.
One conservative outlet wrote a piece titled: "Has Metal Gone Too Far?"
Another blog called it "irresponsible," and accused the band of "using tragedy for shock value."
Samuel knew this would happen. In fact, he expected it. He gathered the boys the next day for a private meeting.
"We're gonna take some heat," he said, pointing at a projected article behind him. "But this is part of it. Any band that shakes the earth kicks up dust."
Kai looked uneasy. "You think it'll backfire?"
"No," Rex said, his voice steady. "It means we hit a nerve. That's good. That's what this song was meant to do."
Ash nodded. "Let 'em scream. Controversy is just another form of marketing."
---
The Fans Rally
As critics argued and articles sparked debates, the fans rose up like an army.
Fan art began to appear: apocalyptic angels, burning skies, hooded figures wielding guitars like weapons. Someone made a mock poster of the band as "The Four Saints of Metal."
Pete Harrison—yes, that Pete—had now turned into a full-blown content machine. His fan page SaintWatch gained over 50,000 followers in three days.
In one of his viral videos, he shouted into the camera:
> "They dropped Angel of Death and I haven't slept since. My ears are bleeding, and I THANK THEM FOR IT!"
Even Spotify and other streaming platforms had to take notice. The song entered the Top 10 Viral charts across multiple countries.
The label, Warner Records, was already reworking marketing plans. The sudden surge in popularity was beyond expectations. One exec even joked, "We thought we signed a niche band—turns out we signed metal's next revolution."
---
The World Watches
Television interviews were suddenly being requested. Documentary crews were reaching out. Podcasts, radio stations, rock blogs, TikTok influencers—even mainstream entertainment outlets wanted a piece of Obsidian Saints.
One podcast host opened his show with:
> "I don't know what's crazier: the fact that this band appeared out of nowhere, or that they just made the most hauntingly brutal song of the year."
By the end of the week, the numbers were staggering.
Angel of Death: 6.7 million views.
Obsidian Saints: now the fastest-growing metal band of the year.
The band's merch store: sold out.
But despite the media storm, the band remained grounded.
Rex looked at his bandmates one evening and simply said, "This is just the beginning."
They all nodded.
They believed it.
---