OSI Signs with Metal Blade Records - New album this year!

[Samsara]

From Metal Blade's press release:

   OSI signed with Metal Blade Records!
OSI (Office Of Strategic Influence), the hard rock duo formed by Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) and Kevin Moore (Chroma Key, Dream Theater), has inked a deal with Metal Blade Records! The band has gained a strong underground following since its inception in 2003. OSI already has 3 full length records and an EP in its catalogue of music. Their 2009 album, Blood and includes guests Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree) and Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth). Past participants include Mike Portnoy on the first two albums, Sean Malone and Steven Wilson on the debut, and Joey Vera (Armored Saint, Fates Warning) on Free. OSI is currently working on their fourth album and Metal Blade debut for a late 2010 release.

OSI's music can't easily be pigeonholed and is a completely different animal when compared to its founders' other projects. The music is a combination of dark rock chorus' with atmospheric, often industrial keys and is an eclectic mix of both Moore's and Matheos' influences.

Metal Blade founder and CEO Brian Slagel adds: "We are very excited to welcome OSI to the Metal Blade Family. I have been a big fan of the band and all of us here can't wait to work on the new album."

Keep an eye out for more news and updates as the band continues work on their new album!

OSI discography:
Office of Strategic Influence (February, 2003)
Free (April, 2006)
re:free (EP) (November, 2006)
Blood (April, 2009)

https://www.osiband.com

[sonatafanica]

[faemir]

New album after a year? 

[Nick]

Wow, I'm surprised they are signing to Metal Blade. There has been a big movement away from InsideOut as of late, but it's been mainly more metal bands (Threshold, Symphony X etc), now we see a more prog band leaving...

Anyway, I look forward to the new album.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Super exciting news. OSI is one of the 5 or 10 best metal bands of the past decade, so this is awesome.

[sonatafanica]

I don't really care about the label signing so much, but the new material is pretty exciting news.

[Nick]

Super exciting news. OSI is one of the 5 or 10 best metal bands of the past decade, so this is awesome.

Except I would hesitate a long while before simply calling OSI a metal band.

[TAC]

Super exciting news. OSI is one of the 5 or 10 best metal bands of the past decade, so this is awesome.

Except I would hesitate a long while before simply calling OSI a metal band.

..or 5 or 10 best bands....

[sonatafanica]

Super exciting news. OSI is one of the 5 or 10 best metal bands of the past decade, so this is awesome.

Except I would hesitate a long while before simply calling OSI a metal band.

..or 5 or 10 best bands....

Yeah, where's that wailing falsetto that makes music great?!

[Nick]

While I am not a huge fan of constant wailing falsetto, you kind of make my point in a roundabout way. I *love* Kevin's work with the vocals in OSI, but they are about as far from metal vocals one could get.

And while the music is certainly metal at time, when it is it should definitely be modified to say Prog-Metal.

[pogoowner]

Good, maybe they'll actually get some decent distribution now.

[Nick]

I've never had a problem with InsideOut's distribution.

[TAC]

I'm not trying to be an ass, but I have the first OSI, and took one listen to Blood. Would someone please tell me WTF I am missing? To me, it's like these guys with great resumes got together to make an album, but instead got drunk, and this is what we got. Would anyone give a f##k about these albums if they were recorded by 3 no names?

[Nick]

Personally, I don't take into account who's on the album to determine how much I like it.

I think the better question is, would any of us have ever found out/followed this band if it wasn't for the people on it.

[Sigz]

Would anyone give a f##k about these albums if they were recorded by 3 no names?

I'm frankly not a huge OSI fan, but Microburst Alert has some of the greatest drumming I have ever heard, regardless of who recorded it.

[KevShmev]

Sweet!

And I wouldn't call OSI a metal band.  Not even a prog metal one.  But that's just me.

[Nick]

This is like the third time in a week I've found you agreeing, or somewhat agreeing with me Kev, is something wrong?

[TAC]

OK, I just listened to Microburst Alert. The drumming is very good. Reminds me of an infinished Primus track. I mean it rocks for about 30 seconds and that's it? But thank you for the recommendation.

[KevShmev]

This is like the third time in a week I've found you agreeing, or somewhat agreeing with me Kev, is something wrong?

With you, apparently.  Perhaps your fail to not fail ratio is tilting a bit as you get older.

[SoundscapeMN]

METALblade signs another band who isn't METAL, lol.

their new album sure as hell better not be released before the next Fates Warning record.

[Nick]

METALblade signs another band who isn't METAL, lol.

their new album sure as hell better not be released before the next Fates Warning record.

Yeah, I wouldn't be very surprised if that happened.

[Darkes7]

Wow, great to hear. I really like the direction they took with Blood, and I'm curious what the next album will be like. Definitely one of the most interesting progressive rock/metal projects/bands around.

I'm not trying to be an ass, but I have the first OSI, and took one listen to Blood. Would someone please tell me WTF I am missing? To me, it's like these guys with great resumes got together to make an album, but instead got drunk, and this is what we got. Would anyone give a f##k about these albums if they were recorded by 3 no names?

I think that one thing you're missing is that one listen to Blood is clearly not enough. It's an album with a very deep, multi-layered sound and it just requires concentration and several listens. There are songs like The Escape Artist and False Start which are just made to click immediately, but there are those like Stockholm and Blood which need plenty of time.

And if they somehow managed to be recognised - yes, I think people would care about them if they were "no names". The main strength of OSI is originality, I'm not aware of any band or project that would be even close to sounding similar.

[petrucci07]

I Sportified these guys just now to see what all the fuss is about; I'm halfway through "The Escape Artist" right now.

Holy fuck.

So that's KevMo on vocals, right?

[sonatafanica]

Yep. Don't you listen to Chroma Key?

[petrucci07]

Yep. Don't you listen to Chroma Key?

...should I?

[glaurung]

Awesome news! 

[sonatafanica]

Yep. Don't you listen to Chroma Key?

...should I?

Chroma Key is, like, totally the best thing that has ever happened to me. There are only three albums, and I honestly don't think I have gone more than three days without listening to at least one of them.

[yorost]

Wow, I'm surprised they are signing to Metal Blade. There has been a big movement away from InsideOut as of late, but it's been mainly more metal bands (Threshold, Symphony X etc), now we see a more prog band leaving...

Well, InsideOut America did fold a couple years ago, no?  That absolutely weakens them even if they were technically separate companies.  Their own struggles, or a related company's struggles, were part of the reason Pain of Salvation and Beardfish lost support for Progfest, too , weren't they?

My impression was InsideOut has been struggling for a couple years now, so it would make sense many groups are jumping ship to more stable places.

[petrucci07]

Yep. Don't you listen to Chroma Key?

...should I?

Chroma Key is, like, totally the best thing that has ever happened to me. There are only three albums, and I honestly don't think I have gone more than three days without listening to at least one of them.

Hmm.
I don't think I've matured musically enough yet. I mean, I heard one of his tracks, and I thought it was boring as shit. I mean, PoS is still everything to me at the momebt,

[dedSurroun]

I don't really care about the label - and besides, didn't InsideOut go bankrupt or something? But I'm thrilled to hear there's a new album on its way.

Blood was ridiculous.

[Darkes7]

SPV went bankrupt, and InsideOut was closely tied to them. Now they're under Century Media and it seems to work.

[abydos]

Super exciting news. OSI is one of the 5 or 10 best metal bands of the past decade, so this is awesome.

Except I would hesitate a long while before simply calling OSI a metal band.

Who calls them a metal band? They are clearly a "hard rock duo "

[SinisterMinisterX]

New OSI is awesome.

Any word of who (besides Moore/Matheos) might be on the new record?

[sonatafanica]

I read on the mooreatorium site that Gavin Harrison is still a possibility.

[LudwigVan]

I'm not trying to be an ass, but I have the first OSI, and took one listen to Blood. Would someone please tell me WTF I am missing? To me, it's like these guys with great resumes got together to make an album, but instead got drunk, and this is what we got. Would anyone give a f##k about these albums if they were recorded by 3 no names?

TAC, it's probably just a matter of style.  There are a couple things about OSI's musical 'style' that you might have difficulty getting past:

1.  Kevmo's lifeless, hypnotic, monotone, robotic, emotionless, almost-spoken vocal style

2.  Your general distaste for electronica and electronic music

And I'm insulted that you would think that I listen to a band's music strictly because of the "star" power of its respective members.