The Lebanese quintet Ostura are possibly one of the most ambitious bands of late, bringing together the worlds of metal, progressive, classical, cinematic and more into an immense musical journey called “The Room”. From the very first notes of the title track with the ominous strings and the sound of a woman panting, I already feel the excitement of revisiting this beautiful album. Then the band begins to play in unison with a real orchestra and a mixture of male and female vocals leading into the mesmerising chorus. Yet not even this introduction can prepare you for what you are about to experience after pressing the play button to launch “The Room”. Ostura will grab you by the hands and take you through the luscious soundscapes they’ve created alongside many guest musicians of the highest order, each bringing their talents to the table in effective ways. They also have the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra playing with them, just like another band who were tied with Ostura for my album of the year in 2018 (see my review of Mayan – Dhyana), and even the Lebanese Film-scoring Ensemble performed some splendid choir sections that elevate the album’s quality to another high. To top things off, we have the legend Jens Bogren himself on the mix and mastering. If you are a metal aficionado like myself then you most definitely heard albums involving this man.
The story behind “The Room” is that of a girl (Youmna Jreissati) suffering from social reclusion and anxiety who locks herself in her room and turns it into an entire world that she creates from her imagination. We are also introduced to two entities: Erosion (Elia Monsef) who represents the girl’s fears and takes over her imaginary realm, and Utopia (Michael Mills) who encourages the girl to push her visionary power to its extent. Bear in mind that these interpretations of the characters are my own and shouldn’t narrow your perception of the story. So how does the music bring to life such an immense concept? The album kicks off in quite an upbeat and colourful manor with the songs “Escape”, “Beyond (The New World)” and “Let There Be” letting you feel the force behind the protagonist’s overflowing imagination and the excitement in exploring this new found domain. Drummer Thomas Lang (mainly known for playing with guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert amongst others) brings together flavours from jazz, pop, rock and metal while still maintaining the link between the orchestra and the band alongside bassist Dan Veall and percussionist Alexander Abi Chaker. The drum beats and fills sound heavy and energetic when needed to match the more intense moments but they’re also dynamic and fit in with the smoother passages too. To put it simply, Thomas Lang is a genius. “The Surge” is a great example of how he matches his playing to the evolution of the music before the song transitions into a dubstep explosion.
There are other electronic elements throughout the album that often serve as ways to link the different changes in tonality keeping the listening experience fluid. You will also notice that keyboardist Danny Bou-Maroun punctuates the melodies of each song without getting overshadowed by the orchestra, adding a layer of blooming to the guitars which are handled with care by Alain Ibrahim and Marco Sfogli. The album begins to take a darker tone on “Erosion”, the girl’s imagined world starts to turn dim for it cannot be perfect since it stemmed from her unstable mind. The rhythm section gets heavier and the transitions more unpredictable, like the switch from an oud to a guitar solo which sounds amazing. Other traditional instruments take the spotlight on rare occasions like a violin, cello and flute thus reinforcing the diverse cultural flare of the album. The moments where the band suddenly merges with the orchestra are breathtaking. Check out the ascension in “Let There Be” and dare to tell me that doesn’t equate to your favourite film soundtracks. “Deathless” is one of the heaviest songs with its stomping groove coupled to some triumphant-sounding arrangements. It also has an incredible chorus that will make you want to sing along, in fact every song on the album has one. “Darker Shade Of Black” starts off with a beautiful acoustic guitar-driven verse before Michael immediately shifts mood as the song turns into the heaviest chorus on the album.
This brings me to the vocalists who are the main vectors of emotion as they sing with so much conviction. They each add their own personality to the music depending on the character they play. Elia has a fierce and dominative presence yet he manages to keep a form of serenity in his expression. Michael has a higher and mostly jovial voice that fits the enthusiasm of his character but he can provoke a great feeling of distress in the heavier sections (his wailing in “Deathless” is awesome). As for Youmna, she is incredibly pure and moving in every appearance she makes (“Mourning Light” gets to me every time). She evokes the girl’s innocence and helplessness towards the events that unfold. Throughout its concept, the album brings to mind meaningful themes such as ambition, perfection, psychology, anxiety, anger and conflict. The music never pulls too much towards a single sentiment and instead constantly stirs an eclectic range of emotions.
Last but not least, Marco‘s guitar solos are always technical and still keep the feel flowing at full force. I won’t bother giving any highlights since all of his leads are fantastic. That also goes for Özgür Abbak‘s stellar solo in “Only One” and we even get an appearance from Arjen Anthony Lucassen who makes his guitar weep in “Darker Shade Of Black”. The final song “Duality” is the amalgamation of everything I’ve said in this review. It begins with an invigorating composition as Elia‘s vocals lead the way, letting you know you’re reaching the album’s climax. It then turns into a galloping instrumental before leaving you with one of the heartiest endings I’ve ever heard. There really is too much to say about this album so I’ll stop here. “The Room” has the perfect balance of every musical element, it’s a union of sonic bliss that took me on an adventure to the point where I needed a few minutes to adjust back to reality after it ended. If you are fairly open minded when it comes to music, this album will surely make some big waves with you. According to the band’s last Facebook announcements, a new album is on its way and I could not be more excited!
Rating: 10/10
