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OTHER EYES WISE
Zer(0)

WormHoleDeath (2014)
Rating: 7/10

When I’m introduced to a new British band I immediately become concerned that they are going to be touted as the next Iron Maiden or Black Sabbath, and then it’s down to me to bring them down to Earth with a bang. A majority of UK bands being heralded are usually rather generic and lack the fire, so I was very intrigued to come across London-based rockers Other Eyes Wise.

Well, first off, those of you expecting another tired traditional metal band need look away now, because Other Eyes Wise are far from the ilk of oily, leather-clad cavemen. Instead, they carve out an intriguing, often mysterious sound that would have been more suited to that era of “alternative” metal that became to loiter around from 1993-1997. This is progressive metal that refuses to rest in one pace and become stagnant.

When I read the press release, which states that these guys are influenced by a range of bands including Soundgarden, Meshuggah and Napalm Death, I really didn’t know what to expect? All I could really do was jump in head first and hope for the best, and what I hear I rather like.

Other Eyes Wise are a talented trio who do have a modern twist to their mostly aggressive nature, but there is an air of the unpredictability to this act, reminding me at times of a peculiar mix of Faith No More, latter day Sepultura and with an element of jarring grunge. Although groove-based, however, there is also the deathlier metal grunt threat of the vocal and the chugging yet wayward structures of guitar, bass and drum which enable the band to operate as an uneven surface with grindcore splashes and then calmer vocals.

After a brief introductory instrumental the band ease into ‘Almost Asleep’, which combines all the elements I’ve spoken of, linking aspects of extreme metal with melody. Interestingly, the vocal at its calmer stages reminds me of Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme, but I’m unsure if I welcome the barking vocals which are injected into those jagged edges of the music.

Even so, it’s still incredibly catchy in its diversity and leads us into the ominous judder of ‘Climb Above’, which is often coarse until those rising melodies. Okay, so it’s not Cynic, but the interesting deviations are similar in their unexpected nature, providing calmer, more approachable shores until eventually succumbing to those guttural vocals and jolting structures.

It all makes for an interesting blend as we take a stroll through the bass-lead plod of ‘Decade Of Struggle’ with its doomier tumult, while ‘You’re Wrong, You’re Right’ explodes out of the traps like a well-oiled rocker with its dark grooves. ‘Paths’ is a strange bubbling cauldron, hinting at Soundgarden and Gojira, another band who Other Eyes Wise cite as an influence.

This is a debut opus that will keep you guessing and one which connects small doses of extreme modern metal effortlessly with progressive segments. And coupled with thought-provoking lyrics, Zer(0) bends the boundaries with its ambition but should appeal to anyone open-minded with their rock music.

Neil Arnold

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