OSI is a strange kind of progressive metal. They don’t have the usual 10+ minute songs with crazy time signatures and endless solos. They focus on fusing prog elements with moody melodies and cinematic atmospheres. Two years after the good “Blood”, Kevin Moore and Jim Matheos return with another pretty good album under the name of “Fire Make Thunder”.
This time there are no guest musicians as there were in the previous albums. The only addition to the duo is the great Gavin Harrison of the even greater Porcupine Tree. The album starts with two songs that are closer to the first days of the band. Nice grooves, jazzy drums and great usage of samples. Kevin Moore has his usual approach to the vocals. It’s like a melancholic-schizophrenic eternal dialogue. His vocals are really interesting at the start but I can understand if someone finds them tiring for a 43 minute album.
The songs in the album are not long generally (with the exception of the first and last tracks), but the change from one song to the other comes effortlessly, which gives you the opportunity to find more things to like with every listen.
The riffs of Jim Matheos are great as usual. Ηis riffs might sound pretty close but they differ in one key aspect, which makes every one of them and every song unique. Especially the whole guitar work in the last track “Invisible Men”, which is one of the best songs in the album, is simply phenomenal!
I found the whole album pretty addictive. It is not surely their best album, but I simply could not stop listening to it because at each listen I found something new to like. The prog lovers must surely give it a listen, and those that enjoy simple melodies with atmospheric touches should also give “Fire Make Thunder” a listen or two.
