Hailing from London, The Osiris Club have got a real corker of an album in their second effort. The Wine Dark Sea, is a mixture of psychedelic turns, progressive melodies, and pure heaviness that combines to create a saga of the most epic proportions. If their first album was the thing that broke the mould in the British music scene, then The Wine Dark Sea will be the album that breaks them into the mainstream.
The opening songs on the record demonstrate this versatility well. Mausoleum is a song that varies between heaviness that would make Mastodon proud, whilst also throwing in psychedelic elements that wouldn’t be out of place on a Pink Floyd record. The Signal and Island of Stone allow the band to show off their chops, be they vocally or sonically, and as such, there is a sense that they are battling it out for proper formation.
The rest of the album from songs such as Ring The Changes and With The Giants helps create a sense of ambience and heaviness that other bands have tried and failed to garner. There truly is a sense that the band are seeking influence from some of prog’s greats such as Pink Floyd or Gentle Giant, and that is by no means a bad thing.
The Wine Dark Sea is an interesting and diverse album, that brings a great many new tricks to the table. There isn’t a moment on this album, where the listener can get bored. They are always hooked in with a nice melody, a change in time, or a change in guitar sound. This is something that is sure to stand the band in good stead for the future. Be sure to check out the album when it is released on 23rd February.