ALBUM REVIEW: 蘇醒 II: Frailty – OU

Standing out in the field of progressive metal takes more than talent. While talent is an obvious prerequisite when it comes to the technical nature of the genre, building a sound that can really turn heads takes ingenuity and a willingness to reject the comfort of what has been done before. The originality at the heart of OU’s debut album One is thankfully renewed with 蘇醒 II: Frailty, which sees the Chinese prog-metallers utilise the inspiration they take from DEVIN TOWNSEND and takes this relationship one step further by having him co-produce, mix, and feature on the album. As a result, there is a noticeable change in the quality of their production, and 蘇醒 II: Frailty benefits from being more cohesive, interesting, and impactful.

This second chapter opens with its title track and leaves little off the table, skipping boldly through synths, pop-hooks and technical guitar work with a deft suddenness. While there’s plenty going on in this track, it works well to showcase the brilliant vocals by Lynn Wu that will become the focal point of the album. The heavier elements are relatively distant from the progressive-pop of BJÖRK, but Wu’s unconventional and distinctive vocal styling exhibits a similar cadence at times, even with Wu singing in her native language. This similarity can be heard throughout the record on tracks like Recall and Redemption, but it’s on Capture And Elongate (Serenity) that the resemblance really becomes apparent, featuring layered electronics that would be perfectly comfortable on BJÖRK’s most recent record Fossora (if not for the heavier moments on the track).

One of the biggest moments on 蘇醒 II: Frailty is the single Purge, featuring guest vocals from the aforementioned DEVIN TOWNSEND. Beyond the vocal contribution, his guiding hand on the record can be felt most strongly on this track; vocal and instrumental swells rise over wild drumming and repeated chants by Wu that feel strikingly close to the latter efforts by the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT. As much as there are similarities on Purge (and on the Spirit Broken) to Townsend’s various projects throughout the years, there’s more than enough uniqueness about OU to keep things from being derivative.

Tracks like the (largely) instrumental YYDS and the final song Recall work well when viewed holistically with the rest of the album but less so as tracks in their own regard. This is hardly an irregularity when it comes to progressive metal, which often sees artists building a concept or a thematic throughline over a release, but it does make this an album that feels like more of a “one sitting” effort than one to pick and choose tracks from. With that being said, the opening run of three tracks – ending on the outrageously eclectic Ocean – work well enough when viewed outside of the album that they could easily feature on playlists.

蘇醒 II: Frailty is an odd album in the best possible way, with OU capturing the best elements of technical metal and progressive-pop to create something that’s often as eyebrow-raising as it is ingenious. It won’t be a record that everyone will be able to get on board with, but the involvement of DEVIN TOWNSEND has helped OU to tighten up their sound without losing any of their fervent energy.

Rating: 8/10

蘇醒 II: Frailty is set for release on April 26th via InsideOut Music.

Like OU on Facebook.