Oh/Villain is a shiny new band out of Sydney and the band’s debut EP Pilot is, to be frank, full of fire and unapologetic ambition. A melodic post-hardcore band, they’ve already rocked the boat by topping the Triple J Unearthed metal charts for weeks on end and have toured with the likes of Polaris, Storm The Sky and Save The Clock Tower. And with the release of this EP it’s easy to see why. It’s fucking mint.
You’ve got Julian Latouche (vocals), Peter Bezek (guitar), Lars Parto (guitar), Aaron Peacock (bass) and Joshua Moody (drums). They got together with Rohan Kumar at Broken Sounds Studios, who produced and engineered Pilot, as well as Declan White from Declan White Productions, who mixed and mastered it. With seven tracks, it’s on the longer side of most EPs, but each song presents a different facet of Oh/Villain’s music.
‘Heartless’ kicks off and it’s melodic with rapid drums and some brilliant riffage. Julian’s clean singing flows with a warm tone and a hint of roughness, which transforms into raspy growls for the chorus. ‘Constant’ really showcases emotion through the song, including a choir of voices that highlight the guitar hook. And damn, the guitars through all of these songs are on point.
‘Preacher’ will get the djent fans a little excited, with a hard and heavy opening featuring muted growls. It’s powerful, and the lyrics break through the music; Pilot is an ode to celebrating life the way you are determined to live it. It’s uplifting with just the right amount of head banging heaviness.
‘Crying Wolf’ is a beautiful song with a spoken word verse and soft vocals that emerge after a brutal beginning. On the same note is ‘Crow’s Feet’ which reinforces the fact that Oh/Villain can write and execute heavy really well, and soft equally as well.
‘Find Me’ and ‘Alive’ are songs that hit hard: frantic drums overlaid with guitar melodies that build expectation until the chorus unloads. Structurally it’s a fine collection of songs that give you the hard stuff and then soften you up at just the right moments.
Every song Oh/Villain has created on this EP is brilliant in its own right. It’s a defining statement that Oh/Villain is here to create exciting music that is both technical and compelling. And this is just the beginning.
Pilot will be released on Friday 30th of June.
Watch the video for ‘Preacher’ here.
Rating: 10/10
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