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Odin's Court: Self-Titled EP
Odin's Court is a south Maryland, 3-piece metal band that draws on a variety of musical influences. That's nice, you say, but of the 87,000 metal bands out there, most of them are probably better confined to the basements they are born in. This is not the case with Odin's Court. They are a fresh and promising addition to the genre, serving up powerful and tasteful metal with gusto. The musicianship is not at all bad, the songwriting is better still, the vibe grows with every listen, and the guitar solos (which are the best part of a song, just ask any metal fan) are excellent. Stylistically, I am inclined to call Odin's Court a "classic metal" band, but that would be only a half-truth. Odin's Court seems just as happy referencing Rush or Symphony-X as they do referencing Metallica or Iron Maiden. Time changes and melodic interludes aplenty, along with textured guitars and keyboards, ensure that there is some complexity (the good kind) to go along with the aggression. That said, the guitar work still takes the spotlight on this album. D2C and Paradise Lost seem to be the standout tracks on this EP. The former is great all around the catchy guitar riffs lay the foundation for a powerful song, but things really takes off halfway through with an infectiously catchy chorus that launches into an epic, gargantuan guitar solo. Paradise Lost: Chapter Two demonstrates Odin's Court's ability to write a quality instrumental. Lead singer/guitarist Matt Brookins impressive guitar work nicely weaves in and out of the ambient keyboards and the hypnotic bass guitar line of Scott Adley. This song is the most laid-back on the album, and, interestingly enough, probably the best. Certainly, I much prefer Paradise Lost: Chapter Two to its cheesy-sounding counterpart Paradise Lost: Chapter One, which, although epic and catchy in certain ways, sounds a little bit too much like heavy-metal Enya for my tastes (just listen to that intro). The most difficult-to-digest aspect of this EP is the vocals. Brookins is a singer of the dramatic variety, and while drama isn't necessarily bad, the vocals sometimes get out of control here, even on a technical level. Vocalists do tend to improve with time though, and I hope that Brookins can learn to exercise more control over his voice. Come to think of it, if the extra "flair" in the vocals could be transferred somehow to the drumming, then we would have a perfect outcome. The drumming isn't bad by any means; it just doesn't stand out in any way. For all the guitar shredding that goes on, the drumming sounds a bit subdued and pop-like for the music it accompanies. To their credit, the Odin's Court debut EP held my interest for longer than I expected. It contains some very fine songs, some very fine moments, and a filler content of zero. Give it a listen.
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