ALBUM REVIEW: The Silver Line – ONI
Canadian progressive metal quintet ONI have had a busy few years, releasing their second full-length studio album Loathing Light just last June. Fast forward a year and they’re set to release their third album The Silver Line. This intimate nine track compilation has some well-recognised collaborators, with SPIRITBOX‘s bassist Josh Gilbert and producer Joe McQueen (AS I LAY DYING, BAD WOLVES, LIGHT THE TORCH) teaming up to mix, produce and master this record. In addition, the album isn’t short on huge guest appearances, including the likes of YouTuber turned musician Jared Dines, SLEEPING WITH SIRENS‘ Kellin Quinn, SUECO, and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE vocalist Howard Jones.
It seems as though it is not just fans old and new that will find this new material somewhat reassuring to listen to in their times of despair, as frontman Jake Oni explains: “Music is such a gift. If you can make music, and people respond to it? I’ve learned not to take that for granted. Count your blessings because the opportunity to make music is such a great one.” It is certain that ONI‘s music will make you feel a sense of empowerment and self belief, relieving anyone of thoughts of self-hatred along the way. The opener is Silhouette, which begins with an intriguing almost oriental synth style introduction before moving quickly into a thunderous metal riff. This is a very strong start, with a fantastic chorus which is instantly memorable. It’s comparable to THREE DAYS GRACE and a heavier BREAKING BENJAMIN, and should blow the listener out of the water from the outset.
Sadly it’s downhill from here. The production is so slick on next track Spark that it may take a while to realise that SUECO is even in there, and it is is nowhere near as memorable as its predecessor. Underneath My Skin with SLEEPING WITH SIRENS‘ iconic vocalist Kellin Quinn isn’t much better. There is just nothing differentiating this track from the rest. Silence In A Room Of Lies takes things up a notch, which is much needed by the time it arrives. Featuring YouTuber/musician Jared Dines, this track is most certainly heavier in nature, but even though the riffs and vocals are just sublime throughout, it’s unlikely to stay in many listener’s heads all that long. Cyanide sounds as though it could be a BRING ME THE HORIZON b-side just from the initial introduction, before eventually bringing to mind the likes of EMMURE or MOTIONLESS IN WHITE.
The Dread is another collaborative single, this time featuring ex-SIKTH vocalist Justin Hill. Even though the talent from both vocalists shines through here, it still feels like another filler track. Aura features a double whammy consisting of SPIRITBOX‘s Josh Gilbert and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE‘s Howard Jones. From the first second, you can hear the SPIRITBOX influence in terms of melody and vocal style, and Jones‘ addition is really something special here, suiting this song down to the ground. Armageddon features a collaboration with THE CONTORTIONIST‘s Michael Lessard and to be honest it feels a bit like a bonus single from MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, while the finale Burns My Soul sounds pretty much identical to that which is heard elsewhere on the record – disappointing to say the least.
There is no doubt that you will enjoy The Silver Line if you are a progressive metal fan. However if you dig a little deeper you may find that all of the tracks sound a little too similar to one another, which is a real shame. Even though the overall vibe of the album is certain to get you feeling something, there is just no substance there. Saying this, it is impressive that ONI have collaborated with some big names in the alternative music industry, so that is something to be proud of at least.
Rating: 6/10
The Silver Line is set for release on October 13th via Ironshore Records.
Like ONI on Facebook.