Following two previous albums and a split EP
with Botanist, Oskoreien has now evolved
from a solo endeavor into a duo. Founder Jay Valena—handling
vocals, guitars, synth, and programming—has joined forces with guitarist Rashid Nadjib for the project’s third full-length.
“Hollow Fangs" is described by its creators as an intensely personal work,
channeling severance, endurance, and the search for meaning after trauma.
Session bassist Matthew Durkee contributes
to the recordings, while the mastering was completed by Jack Shirley at Atomic Garden
Studios.
The five
compositions on "Hollow Fangs" stretch between seven and nine
minutes, allowing the songs to expand, contract, and transform in their own
time. The music constantly shifts, moving between aggressive passages of
storming black metal riffing and moments of spacious reflection, always with a
sense of emotional urgency. Guitars frequently take the lead, trading between
biting dissonance and sweeping melodic passages, while the programmed drums and
synths add weight and atmosphere. Valena’s
vocals, anguished yet defiant, tie the intensity together, never losing sight
of the human core behind the chaos.
Despite the density of ideas, the album, breathes with dynamic energy. Each track feels like a journey, veering from turbulence into stretches of poignant melody, before surging back with renewed force. "Prismatic Reason" opens with striking immediacy, establishing the duality of ferocity and reflection that carries through the album. "Bernalillo Sunrise" and "Psychotiscism" bring a sharper edge, channeling frenzy and grief. "Fragments" lingers in haunting contemplation, while "To Kiss The Viper’s Fang" closes the album with a sense of final confrontation—wrathful, mournful, and strangely triumphant.
"Hollow
Fangs" is an album of conviction, delivered with fire and clarity of
purpose. It speaks directly through sound, offering a release and an embrace
for anyone who listens closely. It’s harsh, intricate, and deeply affecting.
Score: 7.7
https://oskoreien.bandcamp.com/album/hollow-fangs
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