industrial metal
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THISISNOTABANDSHIRT by Merchants Of Air, only available in March 2016
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You know, I can be a bit psychic sometimes. For example, I'm quite positive that later today I will receive an email with the words "that's quick". I admit, it's not very spectacular since this album came in today and I'm already doing the review. Yet, I also predicted that I would really like this album, just from reading the review submission. So I loaded the album into my media player, along with a bunch of others I wanted to check out today and here we are, reviewing it.
Based in Ottawa, Canada, Ooluu is an industrial rock band. They call their music 'voodoo metal' but I quite prefer 'industrial' because I really like that genre. This album is loaded with crushing guitars, electronics and methodically pounding drums, almost mechanically tearing the listener apart. It's Link Park meets Combichrist and Nine Inch Nails meets Godflesh. But above all, it fucking rocks!!!
The album opens gently but impending with 'Scaphism', the intro. This one could make quite a good Calva Y Nada or Das Ich tune actually. Then, in 'Manichaeus' guitars come in and the whole slowly turns into a gnawing and bloodthirsty beast. The heavy part drives on quite elementary black metal riffs and fierce hardcore vocals. It's a good song, that's true, but from here it gets even better, believe me, it really does.
'Viscera' is a bit more radio friendly, reminding me a bit of some of the greatest hits by Nine Inch Nails. Again, good, great even, but hold on, this gets better and better. 'Calenture' starts filling up the dancefloor, just like acts like Hänzel Und Gretyl or Oomph have been doing over the years. This is pretty much a classic blend of metal and EBM, much to my delight. I am now trying to decide between dancing and headbanging.
'Porcelain' definitely helps me make that decision and I take a few minutes off from writing to start shaking my ass off to these massive beats and brutal guitars. The volume goes up, the neighbours start knocking on their ceiling and walls. Yeah, I think this is the absolute highlight on this album. At this moment, I've started telling myself "see, told you it would be good". Think Die Krupps club mix and you'll know what I'm talking about.
Somehow, I'm also regularly reminded of Linkin Park and I hope that Ooluu doesn't take that in a bad way. The electronics, the alternation between clean vocals and brutal screams and the grinding guitars are all elements that both bands use. However, Ooluu definitely is the heavier, harsher and more in-your-face brother of Linkin Park. 'Gnosis' easily passes the Americans in intensity, heaviness and brute force while 'Polyvalence' goes deeper than any Linkin Park song could ever go.
So yes, this is a stunning album, exactly like I predicted (or perhaps hoped) it would be. This trio seem to know pretty good what they're doing and where they want to go to. I hope they'd like to come over to Europe to roll their twisted industrial over an unsuspecting audience. And over me, who obviously will bask in self-glorification because I was right about this band and because I knew perfectly well that this was going to be a massive party.
Serge
Based in Ottawa, Canada, Ooluu is an industrial rock band. They call their music 'voodoo metal' but I quite prefer 'industrial' because I really like that genre. This album is loaded with crushing guitars, electronics and methodically pounding drums, almost mechanically tearing the listener apart. It's Link Park meets Combichrist and Nine Inch Nails meets Godflesh. But above all, it fucking rocks!!!
The album opens gently but impending with 'Scaphism', the intro. This one could make quite a good Calva Y Nada or Das Ich tune actually. Then, in 'Manichaeus' guitars come in and the whole slowly turns into a gnawing and bloodthirsty beast. The heavy part drives on quite elementary black metal riffs and fierce hardcore vocals. It's a good song, that's true, but from here it gets even better, believe me, it really does.
'Viscera' is a bit more radio friendly, reminding me a bit of some of the greatest hits by Nine Inch Nails. Again, good, great even, but hold on, this gets better and better. 'Calenture' starts filling up the dancefloor, just like acts like Hänzel Und Gretyl or Oomph have been doing over the years. This is pretty much a classic blend of metal and EBM, much to my delight. I am now trying to decide between dancing and headbanging.
'Porcelain' definitely helps me make that decision and I take a few minutes off from writing to start shaking my ass off to these massive beats and brutal guitars. The volume goes up, the neighbours start knocking on their ceiling and walls. Yeah, I think this is the absolute highlight on this album. At this moment, I've started telling myself "see, told you it would be good". Think Die Krupps club mix and you'll know what I'm talking about.
Somehow, I'm also regularly reminded of Linkin Park and I hope that Ooluu doesn't take that in a bad way. The electronics, the alternation between clean vocals and brutal screams and the grinding guitars are all elements that both bands use. However, Ooluu definitely is the heavier, harsher and more in-your-face brother of Linkin Park. 'Gnosis' easily passes the Americans in intensity, heaviness and brute force while 'Polyvalence' goes deeper than any Linkin Park song could ever go.
So yes, this is a stunning album, exactly like I predicted (or perhaps hoped) it would be. This trio seem to know pretty good what they're doing and where they want to go to. I hope they'd like to come over to Europe to roll their twisted industrial over an unsuspecting audience. And over me, who obviously will bask in self-glorification because I was right about this band and because I knew perfectly well that this was going to be a massive party.
Serge
