[Osian] - The Slow Fade Of Loving Things
X-Treme Rising Records - XT/003 - 2006
By Philip Whitehouse
Formed in Italy in 1995 under the monicker Ossian, 2006 sees the quartet dropping an 'S' and adding some square brackets to their name and releasing The Slow Fade Of Loving Things, their second full-length album. Now, if you've been searching for reviews of this particular disc elsewhere on the 'net, there's a possibility you've seen the dreaded genre tag 'Nu-Metal' pop up once or twice. Personally, I can't hear it - this disc showcases a sound that is influenced heavily by equal parts of mid-period Soilwork, Viva Emptiness-era Katatonia and Greek goth-rock merchants On Thorns I Lay.
So, what does that mean in a more descriptive sense? Well, we've got a nice mix of punchy, energetic and imaginative riffage swinging from abrasive dissonance to thrashier climes by way of occasional thrashier moments and some nice acoustice melodicisms. We've got heavily Italian-accented clean vocals punctuated by occasional harsh screams. We've got a nice, punchy and clear production that lets the more unconventional riffage flex its muscle. And we've got an album that sort of runs out of steam about halfway through.
Yep, for all the intriguiging mix of influences and the sometimes-innovative riffing, The Slow Fade Of Loving Things doesn't contain much in the way of standout tracks, and the songwriting doesn't come across as varied enough to retain interest throughout. 'By Your Own Hand' is perhaps the heaviest track on the album, with some ear-piercing harmonics in the riffage and a determined stomp to the song's tempo, whilst the title track has a pretty effective vocal hook in the chorus - but the rest of the album's pretty much just there. Worth a look if you're a fan of the bands mentioned in the opening paragraph, though.
6/10
UM's Review Rating Scale
[Osian]'s Official Website
X-Treme Rising Records' Official Website
X-Treme Rising Records - XT/003 - 2006
By Philip Whitehouse
Formed in Italy in 1995 under the monicker Ossian, 2006 sees the quartet dropping an 'S' and adding some square brackets to their name and releasing The Slow Fade Of Loving Things, their second full-length album. Now, if you've been searching for reviews of this particular disc elsewhere on the 'net, there's a possibility you've seen the dreaded genre tag 'Nu-Metal' pop up once or twice. Personally, I can't hear it - this disc showcases a sound that is influenced heavily by equal parts of mid-period Soilwork, Viva Emptiness-era Katatonia and Greek goth-rock merchants On Thorns I Lay.
So, what does that mean in a more descriptive sense? Well, we've got a nice mix of punchy, energetic and imaginative riffage swinging from abrasive dissonance to thrashier climes by way of occasional thrashier moments and some nice acoustice melodicisms. We've got heavily Italian-accented clean vocals punctuated by occasional harsh screams. We've got a nice, punchy and clear production that lets the more unconventional riffage flex its muscle. And we've got an album that sort of runs out of steam about halfway through.
Yep, for all the intriguiging mix of influences and the sometimes-innovative riffing, The Slow Fade Of Loving Things doesn't contain much in the way of standout tracks, and the songwriting doesn't come across as varied enough to retain interest throughout. 'By Your Own Hand' is perhaps the heaviest track on the album, with some ear-piercing harmonics in the riffage and a determined stomp to the song's tempo, whilst the title track has a pretty effective vocal hook in the chorus - but the rest of the album's pretty much just there. Worth a look if you're a fan of the bands mentioned in the opening paragraph, though.
6/10
UM's Review Rating Scale
[Osian]'s Official Website
X-Treme Rising Records' Official Website
