Week of June 30, 2023

 Best of the Week

OSI - Office of Strategic Influence

2002  13 tracks  (1:16:02)

Engaging rock by this essentially one-person band with a supporting cast. Jim Matheos of Fates Warning was going to make this studio album a one-off, but produced three more with a rotating group of session players. Compares favorably with Chroma Key, Frost*, and Soen, though it isn’t the death metal Soen is. The cut “OSI” could have come from Riverside with its catchy driving guitars and easy vocals. Tough to pigeonhole, think of them as The Pineapple Thief and Nine Inch Nails thrown in a blender. Good stuff. A-

MCC (Magna Carta Cartel) - The Dying Option

2022  10 tracks  (48:34)

Calling it melodic may seem like a slam for progressive rock, but it isn’t. Somewhat bleak, it is so in a beautiful way. Led by Tobias Forge, lead member of Ghost, MCC has very strong connections despite Ghost’s heavy metal influence. “Arrows” is a tasty track featuring over-echoed guitars and keyboards and tempered voices. Similarly wrapped in guitars, “Savantgarde” starts a compelling rock groove and doesn’t let up. There are so many good songs on this album, it deserves to be a staple. A

Interesting Finds

Manes - Slow Motion Death Sequence

2018  9 tracks  (44:12)

One of the many groups out of Norway (particularly Bergen) that have pushed the envelope of avant-garde progressive rock. More metal than most, cuts like “Therapism” blend hard rock elements with Ozzy Black Sabbath vocals while throwing in synth rock beats. Some of the blended elements is similar to North Atlantic Oscillation, but with a more industrial rock edge. It’s interesting. B

Wes Borland - Mutiny on the Starbarge

2023  9 tracks  (40:48)

Wes Borland, who was once part of Limp Bizkit, has a connection to Nine Inch Nails as well and it shows. Some of the techno-rock side of NIN comes through, but it still is more restrained than Reznor’s band. More layers, too, as evident in the cut “Your Very Own Harpoon”. For a completely different experience, “The Flagship Obliteron” sounds like a string quartet playing space music. I loved it. B+

Maybeshewill - Fair Youth

2014  11 tracks  (49:56)

Full ensemble rock music in the style of God Is An Astronaut, this mainly instrumental album is quite pleasant. The post-rock electronica sounds are evident in cuts like “In Amber”, but “Fair Youth” is more horn driven with simple song structure. The one downside is that the songs don’t move much and tend to be easy going. There isn’t a bad cut, but there isn’t a whole lot that makes you beg for more. B-

Ulver - The Assassination of Julius Caesar

2017  13 tracks  (1:12:55)

Described by one critic as “moody 80’s synth pop”, it clearly is much more than that. This Norwegian group set aside the early black metal phase and embraced a more experimental form of synth band music with a lot of creativity and heart. “Rolling Stone” is a riveting work that starts in a groove and ends in cacophony. To be fair, cuts like “Transverberation” sounds like it could have come from an earlier Tears For Fears album. For the most part, a fun listen. B+