Now, after hearing me say that, you may be surprised with the intro track “The Continuance”, which is a slow moving piece with clean guitars and not a double kick to be found. Fear not, dear readers, as track two flips the switch from “atmospheric” to “kick your teeth in”. The title track’s verse sports the double guitar attack of Andy Simmons and Andrew Higginbotham and the absolutely crushing vocals of Kramer Lowe. This man has some serious pipes. We also get a taste of some melody during the chorus courtesy of Mr. Simmons. “Revealing” starts off fast for the verse before a quick time change and a switch to clean vocals then switches back to the verse just as quickly, then follows it up with a breakdown. OTO really make this almost schizophrenic approach to music work. “Hidden Eyes” has a wicked southern beat to it, and you all know how much I love southern riffs. This track probably won out as my favorite song on the album. The NC quintet slows things down a little and seemingly softens them up as “Seeker” starts off with clean guitars with just a touch of reverb. After lulling you into a false sense of security, they proceed to bludgeon you with a brutal barrage of heavy, mixed with just the right amount of melody.
“Structures” picks up right where “Seeker” left off, using a riff that took what the previous track had started and built on and evolved it. Opting for a very post-hardcore feeling intro, Onward To Olympas embraces the style throughout the entirety of “Unsuitable Patterns”, excepting a bone-crushingly heavy breakdown. “The March” finally gives us a reprieve (eight tracks in). Clean guitars, melodious vocals, and simplistic drums show that OTO can write more than just metal. Toward the end, it does gain steam and sets up the follow-up “Accuser”. “From The Mouth” might be the heaviest song on the whole record. Even with the more deathcore feel, they manage to through in some melodic guitars and make the style their own. “Rebuilt” closes out the album in a very thrash/groove metal style with touches of metalcore sprinkled all over. They also manage to fit a short bluesy interlude in about halfway through the song before transitioning to an awe-inspiring finish.
I’m a fan of Facedown Records’ artists in general, so I may be a little biased, but I greatly enjoyed Onward To Olympas’ sophomore release. They have a real passion for what they do and it shines through in their music. Be sure to go pick up Onward To Olympas’ The War Within Us.
No comments:
Post a Comment