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 PhilharmonicOrchestra 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!
The UK’s Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band Balance of Power made a big comeback this year, with a bold new album, direction, and core line-up. The latter of which saw the addition of the phenomenal new singer: Hazel Jade (HJ). We caught up for an interview with HJ, along with bassist and founding member Tony Ritchie (TR), to discuss the extraordinary success of their new release, “Fresh from the Abyss“, and find out how it all came together.
As your last full-length album “Heathen Machine” came out in 2003, I suppose the most obvious place to start is by asking how it feels to now have a new release to talk about? And when exactly did you start thinking about getting back together and working on your latest album, “Fresh from the Abyss”?
TR: Well, yes it’s great to have some new music out there that’s for sure. After “Heathen Machine” we took what was supposed to be a short break, but life got in the way and it turned into a lot longer time than we anticipated. We did make an album called “The Scintilla Project” with Biff Byford(Saxon) and Andy Sneap (Judas Priest). This was meant to be the next Balance of Power album with special guests, but Biff didn’t want to alienate any of his Saxon fans and rightly so. We ended up changing some of the lyrics and tying it in with a movie that Lionel had produced. The album was well received so we started writing a sequel, but that didn’t fit with Biff and Andy’s schedules so we decided we should continue as Balance of Power. After all the songs were written by myself and Lionel in just the same way as we always had. Over time some of the original songs got superceded by newer ones, so for the first time ever we still had some great song ideas on the table that didn’t get used.
The opening song on the album, “Last Man Down”, starts with the lines: “This is not the ending I was looking for, unintended static cuts the air”. I’m guessing from these lyrics that the long gap between album releases wasn’t exactly part of the plan?
TR: Exactly, that song was written during the pandemic and was really a first look at the unknown times that we were in and reflecting on the past. So many heroes, so little known about what was happening. Lots of people re evaluating their lives and relationships. Just looking for courage in strange times.
There have been a few different lead singers during the band’s history, but previously they were all male vocalists. How did you end up enlisting Hazel Jade as your newest singer, and did you have any concerns about switching to a female vocalist?
TR: We have had our fair share of singers and each one has left their mark on the Balance of Power sound. We had almost finished recording this album and still no singer, so we asked our friend Toby Jepson if he had any ideas. He suggested Hazel, so we sent her a demo of “Never be here again”. She recorded her vocal with her home recording set up and laid down her take on the song. When we heard it we were blown away. We loved the energy and passion that she brought to the song so much that we used her actual demo vocal on the finished album. We think it’s great that when you hear that song, what you’re hearing is the first thing that we heard from Hazel. That’s why we have a Hazel Jade in the band and she has already made her mark as the new voice of the band.
Other bands have often gone back and re-recorded some of their back catalogue after a new singer has joined. Arch Enemy springs to mind as the most relevant example. Is this something you might consider doing as well?
TR: You know, it’s not something we thought of, but after your suggestion we’ll certainly have that conversation and see if it’s something we could look into. Thank you.
It’s fair to say that the line-up was not the only big change for Balance of Power, as the music has deviated a bit from before as well. Was this a result of having new members in the band contributing their ideas? Or more of a natural evolution?
TR: Definitely a natural progression. Its coming from myself and Lionel musically, but Hazel has a great input with the visuals and we’re very grateful for that. It’s not easy to keep things fresh, but Hazel has given a fresh and new edge vocally and visually to the band which we are enjoying.
It was nice to join a band who had such a history and experience of the industry…
Hazel Jade
“Fresh from the Abyss” seemed to come out of nowhere, which I suppose is why the album title is so appropriate. Did it come as a surprise to long-time fans when it was announced? And have you heard much feedback from this demographic? Or are you mostly reaching a new audience now?
TR: It was a surprise you’re right, but so far we’ve been welcomed by fans old and new. It’s sometimes harder for the “more mature” fans to accept change, we think we’ve struck a nice “Balance” of old and new with these songs. Times have changed and you soak up the music that’s around you, but we still do it our way so it’s always going to have a certain something that people will recognise.
You did release three fantastic music videos in the lead-up to the album’s release for the singles “Abyss”, “One More Time Around The Sun”, and “Never Be Here Again”, which showed a darker, more gothic side of Balance of Power. Whose idea was it to move the band’s image in this direction? And who helped with the production?
TR: Yes, Hazel has some great ideas and we love the Gothic almost Steampunk feel that she suggested.
Toby Jepson has had a hand on the whole process, from the production of the album with Lionel, recording Hazel’s vocals and being hands on with directing the videos and writing the storylines etc. Its been so much fun with him popping up all over the place and being so invested in what we’re creating.
The album line-up for “Fresh From the Abyss” is different to the current band line-up, with Chris Masimore and Stoney Wagner having recorded their guitar parts before later handing the reins to Chris Young and Adam Wardle. Reading between the lines a little, was this due to a reluctance to perform live? And can we expect to see a tour in future?
TR: Chris Masimore and Stoney Wagner were part of the band that recorded “The Scintilla Project” in Minneapolis with Biff and Andy. We always knew that we’d need new guitarists to play live as they have their own commitments in the US. We all agreed that we’d just enjoy making the next album with our buddies and have their blessing to recruit someone else when the time came. So there was no reluctance to play live, there was always a plan to go ahead as we have.
We have an Agent on-board for shows for us as we speak. The album is only just out, we’re rehearsing a live set and can’t wait for you guys to hear what we’ve got and you won’t believe what Hazel is bringing to the old and new songs.
Speaking about the future plans of the band, do you think there is a chance you will work on another album together after “Fresh from the Abyss”? And can you turn it around sooner next time?
TR: Ha ha! Yes we can do that. We’re writing songs now and hoping to record before the year is out. It depends on what comes our way. Hopefully we’ll be out on the road so recording might have to wait. It’s all a bit of an unknown right now, we’ll let you know.
Obviously each person has their own quirks and tastes when it comes to singing, but my style fortunately fitted in with the BOP music.
Hazel Jade
Hazel, can you tell us a bit about your background? Have you always had an interest in singing heavy metal?
HJ: I grew up from the age of 3 performing musical theatre! My mum was also composing songs and had a recording studio in the house, so music was always in the air, be it opera, classical, r&b, jazz or rock! I performed in a couple of operas as a kid (the small gang roles!). I think because all sorts of genres of music became a part of my family life, I ended up with an eclectic ear! I’m happy with most genres as long as it’s a great melody! I’ve always moved more towards rock/metal as we all have favourite styles. There are some great bands out there, some of mine are Halestorm and In This Moment, as there aren’t so many females in these genres, and it can be difficult to break through. I also love film scores, and composers such as Hans Zimmer, John Williams and others who are sublime at creating them!
How familiar were you of Balance of Power’s music before you joined? Did you have any trepidation about working with a band that seemed to be coming out of a long hiatus?
HJ: No, I hadn’t heard of them, but when the demo was sent over to me to trial on, I loved the song and the overall sound. Tight and professional. Then the rest of the songs were also top notch too, and when I was asked to join as the singer, I jumped at the chance. Prior I’d had my own band ‘Elevation Falls’ and been with them for over 8 years, but it came to a natural end when Covid hit, we’d all grown up and each of us had different paths we wanted to follow. It was nice to join a band who had such a history and experience of the industry, who had got the ‘ego’ bit out of the way (which younger musicians are inclined to have)!! BOP have credentials and the song writing was excellent along with the musicianship. What’s not to love!
Hazel has some great ideas and we love the Gothic almost Steampunk feel that she suggested.
Tony Ritchie
The press notes mention that you changed the melody of “One More Time Around The Sun”, which made the hook of the chorus even better. Was it a challenge performing songs which may have originally been written for a male vocalist in mind? It seems the rest of the band were also happy for you to stamp your identity on the music?
HJ: For the most part it’s not a problem to sing male parts (I used to sing the male and female parts of Phantom Of The Opera for fun 😀 ) Obviously each person has their own quirks and tastes when it comes to singing, but my style fortunately fitted in with the BOP music. Tony and Lionel have been excellent in letting me have leeway in how I interpret each song which has been fantastic. I know that a small percentage of the old fans weren’t happy there was a female vocalist, but I think you’d get that with any vocalist change to be honest.
Who are some of your main influences? Are there any artists that you would love to collaborate with?
HJ: Heart (Ann Wilson), Halestorm, Miles Kennedy (Alter Bridge), In This Moment, Slash … to name a few 😀 … as to influences, there have been so many. Who can listen to Ella Fitzgerald or Amy Winehouse, Heart, Kate Bush or Within Temptation and not be influenced by these amazing female artists? I adore Miles Kennedy, and still listen to a load of EMO bands such as BVB! I love so many, as music reflects your emotional being, which of course changes all the time! We associate songs with a particular event in our life, so in a way, they’re solidly part of our life’s journey.
How would you feel about having a profile page on our website?
HJ: Absolutely fine! Be an honour, would love it!!
Thanks again for your time. Is there anything else you would like to add?
HJ: Thank you for the positive review you gave us and all the praise too!
Prepare for OU’s (pronunciation: “O”) epic sophomore album, 蘇醒 II: Frailty, co-produced, mixed, and featuring Devin Townsend’s magic! Their newest offering “淨化 Purge” urges you to embrace the infinite possibilities, resonating in every corner.
OU comments on the new single:
淨化 Purge is the second track off our second album, 蘇醒 II: Frailty, the song was written as a kind of brutal meditation, for added power we asked Devin if he would be willing to sing his first song in Chinese along with Lynn, thankfully he was down, and the result is quite astonishing.
Surrender to the hypnotic visuals feat. mastermind Devin Townsend.
The mesmerising music video can be watched BELOW:
Devin Townsend comments:
As I age, I find myself growing easily bored with new music, which is disappointing as a music fan. Despite being very busy, mutual circumstances aligned myself and the band ‘OU’. I appreciate this connection, as their music is exceptionally well executed and interesting to me. I am pleased to have been involved with something refreshing like this.
The album will be available in the following versions: Ltd. CD Jewelcase Ltd. White-Black Marbled 1LP 180g Vinyl – Strictly limited to only 1000 copies worldwide Digital Album
Hailing from the vibrant musical scene of Beijing, China, OU emerged onto the global stage with their debut album one in 2022, leaving listeners awestruck and craving more. With an unparalleled fusion of metal, electronica, ambient textures, and captivating melodies, OU defies convention, offering a sonic journey unlike any other, that invites listeners into their world.
Fast forward to 2023, and OU found themselves in esteemed company, collaborating with none other than the visionary Devin Townsend to craft their highly anticipated sophomore effort, 蘇醒II: Frailty, slated for release on April 26th, 2024. This upcoming album promises to push boundaries even further, introducing prog fans to a realm of sound that challenges the very definition of genre itself. OU invites you to join them on this exhilarating sound odyssey, where familiarity meets innovation, and every note resonates with unprecedented intensity.
OU Lineup: Lynn Wu – Vocals Anthony Vanacore – Drums Jing Zhang – Guitars Chris Cui – Bass
French female-fronted progressive metal band ANTIPOD has officially inked a deal with Wormholedeath for the release of their highly anticipated album “Eveil.” The album is scheduled to hit digital platforms worldwide on September 8th, 2023.
With their captivating sound and mesmerizing stage presence, ANTIPOD has been making waves in the progressive metal scene, earning them a dedicated fan base and critical acclaim. Their partnership with Wormholedeath is a significant milestone in their musical journey, as it ensures international exposure for their unique brand of music.
In a statement regarding the signing, ANTIPOD expressed their pride and gratitude to Wormholedeath for their belief in the band’s talent. They said:
This collaboration with Wormholedeath fills us with immense pride, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to them for placing their trust in us.” To celebrate this exciting collaboration, ANTIPOD has released a special signing announcement video, providing fans and music enthusiasts with a glimpse into their world.
To celebrate this exciting collaboration, ANTIPOD has released a special signing announcement video, providing fans and music enthusiasts with a glimpse into their world. Watch the video below:
Describing the upcoming album, “Eveil,” ANTIPOD reveals a work that defies easy categorization. With a solid metal foundation, the band incorporates symphonic and progressive elements, infusing each track with a unique blend of epic and melancholic tones. Lyrically, the album explores a range of themes, both contemporary and timeless, conveyed through metaphor and vivid storytelling. “Eveil” is an invitation to embark on a colorful, unconventional, and diverse musical journey that articulates a range of emotions and resonates with listeners on a profound level.
ANTIPOD’s journey began as a solo project called Mythrillium, initiated by Sebastien, the band’s composer. After sharing his music creations with fellow musicians, they recognized the potential and suggested recording some tracks in a professional studio. Steven Segarra, the creator and guitarist of the band “Wedingoth,” played a pivotal role in this process, contributing guitar and bass lines and lending his production expertise. Sebastien enlisted several talented guests to add their vocals and guitar parts to the album, including Faustine, Julien LAGNIER, Fabien LACROIX, and Stéphane MONSÉRRAT.
The release of their first single received an overwhelmingly positive response, garnering airplay on over 300 radio stations and earning spots on physical mixtapes featuring French metal and music records. Encouraged by this reception, Sebastien made the decision to form a full-fledged band, produce a complete album, and deliver unforgettable live performances. Over time, ANTIPOD’s lineup has evolved, and today, the band consists of the following members:
Jémina Robineau: Female Singer Stéphane Monserrat: Male Singer Elias Bouabib: Rhythmic Guitar, Solo and Backing Vocals Bilel Adda: Rhythmic Guitar Aurélien Braun: Drums Matthieu Lucet: Bass Sébastien Lelong: Keyboard, Composer
2 years and a half after its debut and self-titled EP, French symphonic prog-metal trio Oïkoumen self-released a first full-length record called ‘Dystopia’ on CD & digital through the main legal platforms.
This concept album is about the anxiety generated by receiving all day long (bad) news from all around the world (from ecological and economic to human issues)
In addition to the official release-news, the band also shared the whole effort for full-streaming on Bandcamp.
Oïkoumen comes from a Greek word “oïkoumene” which refers to the known and habitable world. It is also a notion related to mankind and its relationships with its environment.
It hints at what we are all part of but also points all that we still have to discover.
The ouroboros refers to the eternal renewal of mankind and time as cycles. It is pierced by rays of light to bring a bit of optimism in this dark reality.
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As a band Oïkoumen was founded in 2017 by Elie V. composer and Laura M. lyricist. At this time the band was more rooted in historical themes. Then Yael F. joined in 2018 as the bass player and synths programmer.
First influenced by big names of the symhonic metal scene such as Epica, Nightwish and Within Temptation, the band released its debut and self-titled EP (2020) with the aim to tell about historical subjects in their works and share epic vibes.
However, with the single “The Green Queen” and then the album ‘Dystopia’ (fall 2022), the band heads towards a more brutal and incisive aesthetic with the harmony and rythmics but still with symphonic vibes thanks to the orchestras.
