Review: Defy the Ocean – Myopic EP
Oct 08
Defy the Ocean – Myopic EP
Bands often require a bit of time to get their legs and find a steady foundation when first starting out, a sort of teething period to find a unique sound that is naturally theirs, and theirs alone. Sometimes though, a band comes along that knows exactly what it is straight out of the gate, which is definitely the case for the UK duo known as Defy the Ocean, who have recently released their debut EP, Myopic. With a progressive palette flowing between mellow, minor key passages, and aggressive, pounding build-ups, the band has their style down solidly, and uses it to create an engaging first effort.
The album opens with Neolithic, a creeping and punchy song textured with haunting vocal melodies, traits that set the mood for the EP as a whole. Chris Theo’s vocals are relaxed in their delivery, but are sharpened with a suggestive emphasis as he lays them thoughtfully over and in between the instrumentation. The guitars flow quite organically between eerie and often discordant melodies, to a harsher almost aggressive bite that dominates the mix. Marcos Economides’ drums provide a natural sounding ambiance of rhythm during the mellow sections, and pulse with a hard hitting, nearly hypnotic throb during the edgier bits. A perfect culmination of the bands sound is found on the EP’s second track, Invaders!, which features a crawling progression that evolves into a soaring and engaging chorus. By the end of the song, you are immersed in a thick weaving of textures that, if anything, give credit not only to the well developed style of the band, but to the production of the effort. Everything has its place in the mix, and all the layers blend well through the mix.
The Hunter has a bit more of a bite, it still has the haunting melodies of the other songs but with a violent edge to it, especially during its spats of violent, harsh energy. The EP ends with a ten minute piece of progressive rock, all in Defy the Oceans own style and sound. A melancholic guitar meanders through a long introduction before the rest of the instruments make a subdued arrival. Vocals and guitars both crawl like a spider over the melody, showing their teeth every so often, as the song flows in and out like its own namesake, the tide. The song ends by lulling itself away in a soft organ loop, that could easily be seen taking up the rear of a full length album to close it out in an emotionally appropriate way.
There’s hardly a note on Myopic that isn’t played without purpose and conviction, a trait that transcends the music as the band is forwarding the proceeds from the EP directly to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. All four songs are very carefully and methodically laid out, despite how languidly delivered they sometimes are. It’s good to see a fresh new band start out with such a good grasp on their sound, and I will be eagerly awaiting the first full length release to see what they do with it. If you like your hard rock varied, textured, and thoughtful, check this one out, you won’t regret it.
9/10
www.defytheocean.com
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