OSI - Blood
2009
Metal
There are albums that, after just one listen, are imprinted onto your mind. Whether it be a collection of lyrics, a collection of riffs, or even a collection of whole songs, these are the records that people react to immediately. Some love them, while others hate them; no matter, all is present that one would need to judge. And then, there are albums that, after one listen, it’s as if you never heard them at all. You remember snippets, but little more, and it’s after these initial listens that a decision needs to be made: Try again, or dismiss?
In the case of OSI - Jim Matheos’ and Kevin Moore’s half decade-long side project – there’s never been any intention of allowing the listener to understand what he heard after only one scan. It’s impossible (foolish even) to come to any conclusion about their craft after any less than a half dozen spins, a compulsion that makes them even more difficult to grasp than they already were in the first place. And, considering they’re a metal band with one foot testing the waters of electronica and the other testing the waters of prog, you can imagine just how difficult to grasp that is.
Their newest release,
Blood, is probably their heaviest release yet, but it’s also their most electronic. Clearly, going in, Kevin Moore had some experiments he wanted to conduct, and he doesn’t hold back in doing so. On their two previous efforts, although Moore’s influence was prominent, I felt as though Matheos was the dominate presence. Here, such an assumption is void. The disc reeks of Moore, musically and lyrically.
The words Moore writes, in particular, are eye-opening. Anyone with any concept of Dream Theater’s history, of which Moore was a part of for three albums, knows that he did not exit the band on the best of terms. For a number of years, both parties’ issues lay dormant, but there’s no way such a sleep could’ve lasted. Fast forward to the present, and both sides have taken subtle shots at one another, and pissed eachother off. And although Moore claims he wants to move on from the band that made him famous, there are clearly some unresolved issues still plaguing him.
Look no further than the record’s opener, “The Escape Artist”:
It's all true when I lit that fuse
I never meant to be your friend
I'm gonna drive and make a mess
Part two, now you're back in the news
you're gonna spread the word around
I'm all done because the song is sung
I'm gonna black my windows outOr take a look at the upbeat "False Start":
We'll stick together 'till a better one comes along
You were wrong
You were wrong
It's just another false start you're goneThere are examples like these scattered throughout the record that, although they might not all refer to Dream Theater, could be interpreted to do so. The work as a whole sounds like Moore’s mind is riddled with such enigmas and broken thoughts. This is not a happy person we’re dealing with, it seems, and the album reflects that. It’s easily OSI’s darkest effort yet, and although it doesn’t reach the astonishing highs of its predecessors, it might be more consistent than either of them.
What some might lose amidst the ambiance of the disc are the remarkable hooks Matheos and Moore manage to craft so easily. “Radiologue”, for example, features just a couple of short lines for its chorus, but it latches onto you whenever you’re listening to it. Most of the record is like that, in fact, in the way you might not remember everything about it after several listens, but whenever you’re playing it, it owns you regardless. Kevin Moore’s cold, colorless vocals contribute to this feeling – They lull and soothe you despite the more aggressive nature of the instruments.
In closing, the addition of Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison must be mentioned. He’s one of the best rock drummers working in the world right now, and his contributions are felt immensely. However, OSI is, at heart, Matheos’ and Moore’s baby, and whatever success they might have is entirely attributed to their visions.
Blood is a tremendous release, one that carries the rare burden of being strikingly original. There is no other metal band doing what OSI are doing right now, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Hopefully, there will be another addition to their catalog in the near future, but if not, I will rest easy knowing this one will keep me busy with all its minuscule wonders scattered throughout.
****1/2 (out of five)