THE OSEDAX - Meridians
Self Released
Full disclosure here, I walked out on the last Virginia band I saw who mixed PINK FLOYD prog with NEUROSIS sludge metal. That was over a year ago. Honestly I think the concept has been so played out that it's lost any unique points of interest as if it had any to start with. Which is a horrible way to start a review by a band who is doing the exact same thing. On that note welcome to SFM 666.
What we have here is the third full length by Virginia's THE OSEDAX. It took a second listen and actually reading the promo info to realize their's a concept behind this release as well as the band's name or namesake if you prefer. They're named after a deep bottom feeding sea worm. So yeah sound-wise I get it.
This album features four long cuts and to be this type of extreme metal act you need the time. Normally I don't go cut by cut reviewing but in this band's case it's a must. The first track, "Often" is this massive wake of post sludge NEUROSIS worshiping sludge that sounds really good. We're talking waves of guitar riffage with caustic vocals and exceptional drumming. Great song even after eleven minutes.
Next comes the fun part, "Beacon /Ox Eye" is a two part epic. The first, "Beacon" gives off a synthesizer driven, guitar touching early 70's PINK FLOYD vibe as if you the listener were under water, a lot of water as in the bottom of the ocean. Then the guitar feedback hits, there's blackened caustic screaming and a riff style that's reminiscent of 90's post metal/post HC generic stuff (to put it nicely).
Next up it's "White Horse/ Tempest" otherwise known as if you first don't succeed try again. The "White Horse" part is another synthesizer piece which has an eerie style to it giving one the feeling of (wait for it) yeah the deep ocean depths. Somewhere in England Richard Wright of PINK FLOYD is going "didn't I write this in 1970?" Which brings us to "Tempest", a thoroughly good example of super heavy and thunderous sludgey NEUROSIS worship.
The final track and the shortest "Ratlines" is deep. Listening to this I felt like sitting on the ocean floor encased in a deep sea diving suit. Ya know with that big fuckin helmet. And waiting for my air to die out. It's a total bass and synth cut aka: an outro. Which brings this to my end and opinion.
THE OSEDAX do a lot of things that are cool on this release. Then again there's some portions which sank. I kept on thinking of myself sitting in a room waiting while my significant other (to be PC about it) was part of some transcendental yoga meditation session. After four to five minutes I toss a grenade in there. So what happens, destructiveness and carnage but then that's what you expect. Pattern: proggy stuff then very good sludge metal, so hey you might like it.
https://theosedax.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheOsedax
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