Norway's Okular is the latest technical death metal outfit on the scene, and their brand new release, titled Probiotic, was recorded at Strand Studio and mastered by Peter In De Betou, who has worked with Meshuggah, Dimmu Borgir, and Dark Tranquility. Okular are comprised of Andreas Aubert (composer, lyricist, backing vocals), Marius S. Pedersen (guitars, vocals), Bjorn Tore Erlandsen (drums), and Kai Asvik, who plays bass on the album. For such a new band, Okular have their shit together, delivering a wealth of solid, semi-technical death metal here on Probiotic that will instantly appeal to those who like their extreme metal complex and brutal. Tunes such as "Fuck Your Dignity!", "Connected in Betrayal", "State of Immediacy", and the crushing title track feature no shortage of wild, intricate riffing, pummeling rhythms, and a mix of deep growls, venemous screams, and more melodic vocal passages. Lots of guitar solos as well, something that you don't always hear in death metal, and the inclusion of the two wonderful acoustic shorts "Tranquility of the Night" and "Celebration" temper the ferocity for a few brief moments.While you can hear some slight influences such as Death, Meshuggah, Dimmu Borgir, and Morbid Angel, for the most part Probiotic has a unique sound and is quite enjoyable.
Throw in a very well done booklet packed with song lyrics and catchy artwork, and you have a very strong new release from a new band that seemingly has all the tools to make a name for themselves in the death metal world.
Track Listing
01. Connected in Betrayal 5:36
02. Probiotic (For Life) 5:01
03. Fuck Your Dignity! 5:34
04. Tranquillity of the Night 1:22
05. State of Immediacy 6:19
06. Choose to be Free 4:22
07. Flowers Uncared For 3:33
08. Celebration 1:46
09. The Most Violent Thing 6:22
10. Creativity or Fear? 6:29
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