OU: II Frailty

OU II: Frailty is the second album from Chinese progressive metal newcomers OU, and arriving through Inside Out records and co-produced by Devin Townsend, there’s no denying that this outfit are turning heads. A four-piece consisting Lynn Wu (vocals), Anthony Vanacore (drums), Jing Zhang (guitars) and Chris Cui (bass) where OU land is slap bang in the middle of everywhere and nowhere. Intrinsically different and yet linked strongly with the melodic progressive metal scene - funnily enough reminiscent of Devin Townsend - and with a smattering of djent, this isn’t wheel reinvention but neither is it the same old, same old. The question for some will be whether they can handle the idiosyncratic Chinese language vocals, for some there’s no doubting that Lynn Wu’s contributions here will be the highlight of this album (and the OU debut) and I for one fall firmly into that category. She’s a force of nature with a full on, no holds barred attack - and a near melodic drone that simply becomes another instrument in this band’s arsenal. With pitching that to western ears feels welcomingly different to the norm and a presence in the band’s videos that is both powerful and graceful, there’s no doubt she will draw people into the OU web. The issue for me is whether this band quite have the songs to keep you there.

The title track opens, a melodic burst of keyboards soothing in their accessibility, and then Wu’s vocals began to steadily ascend and descend through her chosen notes. It makes for a jarring experience as Vanacore on drums fills any space left by the guitars with busy but still quite restrained flurries. So far, so interesting, but the heavier smash of “Purge�, while impressive and involved, forgets to place a structure around the tight aggressive riffs and layers of voice. Atmospheric in the extreme, but still somehow forgettable, from here it’s a rollercoaster ride, “Ocean� all about mood and tone - and another phenomenal vocal - but again, dig a little deeper and it feels so austere that you do wonder if we’re working in a style of busy minimalism - lots of drums fills, interesting vocals and well, not much else. For me things really sag in the middle of this album, “Redemption� not leaving a mark, the electronic beats and almost video-game noises and vocals of “Capture And Elongate� self indulgent. And yet, “Spirit Broken� strikes a keen balance between being pulled right back in and pushed out to the extreme, whereas the melody and drama within “yyds� feels like the exact hit of adrenalin a lot of this album is looking for.

Let me reiterate, Lynn Wu is a vocal star on each and every song here and maybe the issue is that the band are happy to rely on and highlight that aspect just a little too often. What’s missing, for me at least, is a few songs on which to truly catapult OU from interesting to impressive.

Track Listing
1. 蘇�' Frailty

2. 淨化 Purge

3. æµ· Ocean

4. 血液 Redemption

5. ��"� Capture and Elongate (Serenity)

6. 破�' Spirit Broken

7. 歪歪地�"� yyds

8. 輪迴 Reborn

9. 念 Recall

Added: April 18th 2024
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: OU @ bandcamp
Hits: 282
Language: english

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