ALBUM REVIEW: Ode To Oblivion – Oreyeon

Ode To Oblivion is the second album to be released by Italian heavy rock group OREYEON, and also constitutes their debut release from their signing with Heavy Psych Sounds. Far from the usual template of their stoner rock roots, Ode To Oblivion is a cauldron of different vocal styles, unique guitar riffs, and some seriously heavy bass sounds.

The album kicks off with T.I.O – starting slowly with the eerie repeated phrase “Tomorrow is over,” before the track quickly erupts into a galloping rhythm that is in true stoner fashion. Aside from the beginning phrase, T.I.O is entirely void of vocals, and makes for a calm, easy listening first track. Trudging To Vacuity has some interesting nods to the musical influences of OREYEON, with a chilling BLACK SABBATH vibe throughout. Although technically smooth, this is a long track and would have benefited from being shortened ever so slightly; at over six minutes long, Trudging to Vacuity really does feel like it trudges a bit through the last half of the song.

The title track, Ode To Oblivion, is a solid track that demonstrates the abilities of all four members of OREYEON. The drums are clean, as are the interesting guitar riffs, and the bass brings a fuzzy element that keeps OREYEON tied to their stoner roots. Richard Salvaggio’s vocals are also strong in this track, with the same Ozzy influence as before but with room for Salvaggio’s own personality to shine through. Ode To Oblivion also includes some really technically beautiful breakdowns that give breathing space in the nine minute track – with each drop bringing another layer to the different genres the group have brought to this album.

Big Surprise is also a contender for best track on the album, bringing the usual fuzzy stoner elements but with an added slathering of groove, that makes it feel less serious and like a song that was created to nod along to. The penultimate track, The Ones, sounds like the musical equivalent of an alien abduction acid trip. The synthetic vwoorp intro jumps head first into an aggressive, chugging tune that again showcases Salvaggio’s SABBATH-esque voice, and the synthesiser-supplemented breakdowns are just as bizarre as the intro piece. The Ones has a brief guitar solo included in the last minute, ending the track with a gradually slowing chug that allows the listener to slowly fall back down to earth.

Starship Pusher finishes this album off with another classically stoner tune, with some fun guitar licks interspersed to keep the track from being too viscous. However, just over three minutes into this track, a tremendous breakdown appears that changes the entire atmosphere of the song. The second half of this track returns to those groove elements used in Big Surprise, as well as some sludgy guitar riffs that give Starship Pusher some serious end track power.

OREYEON have created a second album that shows great potential from the Italian rock group. Ode To Oblivion has some technically perfect tracks, and snippets of some the tracks – namely Ode To Oblivion, The Ones, and Starship Pusher – are boundary pushing and really put the bands foot down on the playing field. As a whole though, Ode To Oblivion lacks something new and overwhelming to really push it into the realm of great albums. It’s a promising start, and OREYEON have shown that they clearly have more to come.

Rating: 8/10

Ode To Oblivion is set for release March 15th via Heavy Psych Sounds.

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