Ov Sulfur: Leap Ov Faith
OV SULFUR are a band that have never shied away from hard graft. Since their formation back in 2020 the band have put their collective noses to the grindstone and have taken on as many tours as possible to make their dreams come to fruition. Now, in the lead up to the release of their debut full-length album The Burden Ov Faith we speak with frontman and lyricist Ricky Hoover as the band look to take the next step on their blasphemous journey and to take aim at organised religion as a whole.
The band make very little effort in hiding their disdain for institutionalised religion in general and the way that it holds so much sway in the modern world. “I’ve been a student of theology for almost two decades, and once you spend a lot of time studying the Abrahamic religions and all of the others you come to realise that what they all have in common is a sense of control,” explains Hoover. “The whole goal with the album for me is to open minds and to speak to the people who are supposedly destined to go to hell and to empower them.”
However, if you thought that this album was all about fire and brimstone then you couldn’t be more wrong. In actual fact it contains some of the most gut-wrenchingly emotive content that Hoover has ever approached lyrically. Also taking to visual arts to convey the pain that he has endured in recent times with some very hard-hitting videos. “Earthen was written about my nephew who sadly passed away. I came up with the idea and sat down with director Vincente Cordero to come up with a strong visual concept,” he explains. With only a quick glimpse over the lyrics for the aforementioned you can get a sense of the grief, anger, suffering and healing that have been poured into its six-plus minute runtime.
Not only is The Burden Ov Faith the band’s most sonically devastating release so far, but it is also the most progressive. One particular tool that the band have used to devastating effect this time out is the use of clean vocals. Although they have always been present in the band’s sound, this time they have been utilised in order to add depth and texture to the songs, with the sound of the album coming across as almost cinematic at times. Another tool that has been incorporated in this release is the inclusion of some notable guest vocal spots, including Alex Terrible of SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL and Howard Jones of LIGHT THE TORCH to name just a couple. As with everything with OV SULFUR, the aim when bringing in these collaborators was authenticity, “I’ve always been a big fan of people writing their own parts for guest spots,” explains Hoover. “I send them the lyrics and the vibe of the song and then encourage them to listen to the song and see what it evokes in them, I want it to feel as natural and real as possible.”
The choice to join Century Media Records was not one that taken lightly by the band. “I was very anti label to begin with. I wanted to do things in a very DIY manor to begin with,” concedes Hoover. “Century Media kept showing up for us and proving to us that they care about what we are doing. They take very good care of us and show that just because you are signed to a label doesn’t mean that you can’t be yourselves and find your own way.” And that is exactly what they have done. The boys have forged their own path, crafted their own vision and began to see the benefits of their hard graft and sacrifice with some big tours on the horizon and The Burden Ov Faith looking to be one of the highlight releases for the deathcore genre this year.
At this point it feels like OV SULFUR are finally beginning to reap what they’ve sown. The band have toured relentlessly since their inception and came out of the gates post-lockdown and jumped on any bill that they could to take their show on the road. With the resurgence of the deathcore scene, there have been plenty of opportunities for the band to get themselves on the stage and to show the world exactly what they are about. Now, with a fresh tour being announced across the States with a monstrous line-up of CHELSEA GRIN, CARNIFEX and LEFT TO SUFFER and the chance to get even more exposure it feels like the perfect time for the band to showcase their most sonically expansive release to date it genuinely feels like everything may be falling into place for the band.
The Burden Ov Faith is out now via Century Media Records.
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