One of my all-time favorite albums is Oblivious to the Obvious by Hourglass, a true progressive metal classic. I don't write many reviews, but this album was so incredible that I had to do something! Originally posted on Amazon.com in 2009, here is what I wrote with some added youtube links. I would love to see these guys live one day - maybe at Prog Power??? They are currently working on a new album at this time.
Oblivious to the Obvious Hourglass
Oblivious to the Obvious (OttO) is my first taste of Hourglass and quite a meal it has been. No fast food or meat and potatoes progressive metal here. OttO is a ten course dining experience in a classy restaurant with an eclectic menu of diverse fine foods, a full range of flavors to stimulate the palate. The service is never rushed. Evening light through stained glass windows forms shadows among the paintings on the wall, a collection that captures the drama of life.
How many bands issue double CDs of all new material? Not many. The most obvious to strike comparison with is Dream Theaters Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (6DoIT). Actually, such a comparison is not too far off base. Both lyrically probe the corners of the mind and the singularities of emotion. Both are dark, leaving feelings of uneasiness. Neither is confined in any way, certainly not to the 5 minute riff-verse-riff-verse-solo-verse compositional formula. Only three songs come in less than 10 minutes. Even with songs of this length, OttO is not hard to digest, while initially I did struggle with 6DoIT. Both OttO and 6DoIT have moments of the harshest hammering that progressive metal can deliver and moments of quiet elegance with a lighter than air buoyancy. However, dont get the idea that OttO is a 6DoIT rip-off. OttO is flooded with its own originality and personality. While I really like 6DoIT, I dont consider it among Dream Theaters best work. As bold as it may seem, I claim that OttO is better.
On the Brink starts off plowing through minutes of pure head banging, exercising multiple tempo changes. The sound is perfectly transparent allowing all the instruments to shine through. A brief piano interlude launches the song back into brash riffing this time with choirs chanting overhead. Michael Turners fine voice finally comes in with angst ridden lyrics. While almost all of the vocals throughout OttO are clean and melodic, there are brief moments of vocal cord overload. At the end of the first vocal passage, Turner lets loose with a throat grinder, belting out the title of the song. The instrumental section is dazzling with a combination of free ranging individual solos and structured duets. On the Brink concludes with voice upon lumbering riffage.
Eric Blood (cool name) takes a turn at the microphone on Homeward Bound. His voice is very different than Turners, but is no less melodic. At times, he sounds like Ian Andersons twin brother while delivering a message to pull yourself out of the rut we all fall into at times. Brick Williams (an extra cool name) is an exceptional guitarist, possessing plenty of speed but always playing well within the artistic context of each song. His playing is often the basis of the changes in mood for OttO. Bricks solo in Homeward Bound soars with passion.
Pawn II starts off with beautiful Spanish guitar that builds to a heavy electric riff with refined piano flourishes from Jerry Stenquist. In fact, Stenquist and Williams set the standard for tastefully combining piano and heavy riffing. Pawn II winds through an evolving collage of sounds. Just when you thought you were listening to an instrumental piece, Turner delivers lyrics of being trapped in a hopeless, controlling relationship.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs3qiaPHS4Q&feature=related[/ame]
Faces floats on a flowing stream of melancholy. Turners lovely voice brings a message of loneliness and emptiness amid the crowds.
The 38th Floor finishes off Disc I with a 20 minute plus song of feelings similar to Faces. This time the emptiness is the over homogenized, robotic life in the corporate world where boredom and stress co-exist. Drummer John Dunston has plenty of opportunity to batter the entire kit as the intensity builds.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SJ1axo9tR0&feature=related[/ame]
Disc II leads off with Façade an exploration of true motives versus putting on a show and commitment to meeting expectations versus lip service. Brick brings out all of the effects: digital processing that sounds initially like keyboards and reminiscent of Robert Fripp, volume control swells, muted note riffing, solo phrases punctuated with pinched notes, and the good old wah wah pedal.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2ae3pxYuPc&feature=related[/ame]
With a heavy riff and Uriah Heep-like vocal layered buildup, Skeletons, less than 7 minutes, seems to pass in a blink of an eye.
Estranged sounds doubly familiar with a tale of being abandoned and with melodies that are so easily consumed that your mind races to identify where you may have heard them before.
Delirium is a lengthy instrumental. All instruments get a complete workout. Eric Blood, in particular, is all over the fret broad. As the title suggests, there is more than a bit of craziness here but a sense of class is never lost.
Now for the coup de grace The title track, Oblivious to the Obvious, is an emotion laden epic. At over 30 minutes, Bricks lyrics, at the least, leave a hollow feeling in the stomach and, at most, bring feelings of hatred and guilt. The story is one of neglect and abuse breeding neglect and abuse. Abruptly confronted with mortality, hope to be remembered follows regret. The need for remembrance gives way to seeking forgiveness. Forgiveness brings the accountability to change. Commitment to change yields redemption. Musically, the composition opts for space over density. Mood prevails over technicality. It is hard to think of a song or an album where the bass is given such equal footing with guitar and keyboards - not the typical brief bone thrown to the thick string player. Blood certainly does not blow the opportunity. Oblivious to the Obvious concludes with an instrumental set perfectly to complete the journey though self examination and critique.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt0gAbbbFEY&playnext=1&list=PL5EC95E67FE5DE57D[/ame]
With the feast concluded and a satisfying aftertaste, Oblivious to the Obvious will, for me, be a contended for the Album of 2009. A measure of my satisfaction with OttO is that I have subsequently purchased both of Hourglasss previous releases. Further, I purchased two additional copies for each of my prog metal sons, so that my copy doesnt disappear!
Track Listing:
Disc I
1) On the Brink 12:39
2) Homeward Bound 9:58
3) Pawn II 13:41
4) Faces 11:53
5) 38th Floor 21:22
Disc II
1) Façade 14:50
2) Skeletons 6:58
3) Estranged 7:05
4) Delirium 10:20
5) Oblivious to the Obvious 30:33
Oblivious to the Obvious Hourglass
Oblivious to the Obvious (OttO) is my first taste of Hourglass and quite a meal it has been. No fast food or meat and potatoes progressive metal here. OttO is a ten course dining experience in a classy restaurant with an eclectic menu of diverse fine foods, a full range of flavors to stimulate the palate. The service is never rushed. Evening light through stained glass windows forms shadows among the paintings on the wall, a collection that captures the drama of life.
How many bands issue double CDs of all new material? Not many. The most obvious to strike comparison with is Dream Theaters Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (6DoIT). Actually, such a comparison is not too far off base. Both lyrically probe the corners of the mind and the singularities of emotion. Both are dark, leaving feelings of uneasiness. Neither is confined in any way, certainly not to the 5 minute riff-verse-riff-verse-solo-verse compositional formula. Only three songs come in less than 10 minutes. Even with songs of this length, OttO is not hard to digest, while initially I did struggle with 6DoIT. Both OttO and 6DoIT have moments of the harshest hammering that progressive metal can deliver and moments of quiet elegance with a lighter than air buoyancy. However, dont get the idea that OttO is a 6DoIT rip-off. OttO is flooded with its own originality and personality. While I really like 6DoIT, I dont consider it among Dream Theaters best work. As bold as it may seem, I claim that OttO is better.
On the Brink starts off plowing through minutes of pure head banging, exercising multiple tempo changes. The sound is perfectly transparent allowing all the instruments to shine through. A brief piano interlude launches the song back into brash riffing this time with choirs chanting overhead. Michael Turners fine voice finally comes in with angst ridden lyrics. While almost all of the vocals throughout OttO are clean and melodic, there are brief moments of vocal cord overload. At the end of the first vocal passage, Turner lets loose with a throat grinder, belting out the title of the song. The instrumental section is dazzling with a combination of free ranging individual solos and structured duets. On the Brink concludes with voice upon lumbering riffage.
Eric Blood (cool name) takes a turn at the microphone on Homeward Bound. His voice is very different than Turners, but is no less melodic. At times, he sounds like Ian Andersons twin brother while delivering a message to pull yourself out of the rut we all fall into at times. Brick Williams (an extra cool name) is an exceptional guitarist, possessing plenty of speed but always playing well within the artistic context of each song. His playing is often the basis of the changes in mood for OttO. Bricks solo in Homeward Bound soars with passion.
Pawn II starts off with beautiful Spanish guitar that builds to a heavy electric riff with refined piano flourishes from Jerry Stenquist. In fact, Stenquist and Williams set the standard for tastefully combining piano and heavy riffing. Pawn II winds through an evolving collage of sounds. Just when you thought you were listening to an instrumental piece, Turner delivers lyrics of being trapped in a hopeless, controlling relationship.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs3qiaPHS4Q&feature=related[/ame]
Faces floats on a flowing stream of melancholy. Turners lovely voice brings a message of loneliness and emptiness amid the crowds.
The 38th Floor finishes off Disc I with a 20 minute plus song of feelings similar to Faces. This time the emptiness is the over homogenized, robotic life in the corporate world where boredom and stress co-exist. Drummer John Dunston has plenty of opportunity to batter the entire kit as the intensity builds.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SJ1axo9tR0&feature=related[/ame]
Disc II leads off with Façade an exploration of true motives versus putting on a show and commitment to meeting expectations versus lip service. Brick brings out all of the effects: digital processing that sounds initially like keyboards and reminiscent of Robert Fripp, volume control swells, muted note riffing, solo phrases punctuated with pinched notes, and the good old wah wah pedal.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2ae3pxYuPc&feature=related[/ame]
With a heavy riff and Uriah Heep-like vocal layered buildup, Skeletons, less than 7 minutes, seems to pass in a blink of an eye.
Estranged sounds doubly familiar with a tale of being abandoned and with melodies that are so easily consumed that your mind races to identify where you may have heard them before.
Delirium is a lengthy instrumental. All instruments get a complete workout. Eric Blood, in particular, is all over the fret broad. As the title suggests, there is more than a bit of craziness here but a sense of class is never lost.
Now for the coup de grace The title track, Oblivious to the Obvious, is an emotion laden epic. At over 30 minutes, Bricks lyrics, at the least, leave a hollow feeling in the stomach and, at most, bring feelings of hatred and guilt. The story is one of neglect and abuse breeding neglect and abuse. Abruptly confronted with mortality, hope to be remembered follows regret. The need for remembrance gives way to seeking forgiveness. Forgiveness brings the accountability to change. Commitment to change yields redemption. Musically, the composition opts for space over density. Mood prevails over technicality. It is hard to think of a song or an album where the bass is given such equal footing with guitar and keyboards - not the typical brief bone thrown to the thick string player. Blood certainly does not blow the opportunity. Oblivious to the Obvious concludes with an instrumental set perfectly to complete the journey though self examination and critique.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt0gAbbbFEY&playnext=1&list=PL5EC95E67FE5DE57D[/ame]
With the feast concluded and a satisfying aftertaste, Oblivious to the Obvious will, for me, be a contended for the Album of 2009. A measure of my satisfaction with OttO is that I have subsequently purchased both of Hourglasss previous releases. Further, I purchased two additional copies for each of my prog metal sons, so that my copy doesnt disappear!
Track Listing:
Disc I
1) On the Brink 12:39
2) Homeward Bound 9:58
3) Pawn II 13:41
4) Faces 11:53
5) 38th Floor 21:22
Disc II
1) Façade 14:50
2) Skeletons 6:58
3) Estranged 7:05
4) Delirium 10:20
5) Oblivious to the Obvious 30:33
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