Loch Vostok – Opus Ferox – The Great Escape

8/10

Straight from the start I can clearly hear Nevermores legacy resting peacefully within the Vostoks sphere. I have no problems with that. The similarities are definitely there but nothing that is gonna be a problem. How could it with such a great guiding star. It actually made me rediscover the band.

This progressive metal is what the world needs. A saviour of the genre or a proud torch-bearer to the next generation of bands in this genre. A rough diamond waiting to be discovered by those with a weakness for great melodies, fantastic vocals and a more technical touch to the music. We will see. They have all the right ingredients. The growling parts is held to a perfect minimum and the melodies are as I said great.

“The Great Clusterfuck” turns out to be a little of a breather, and I don’t know but I can feel it like a distant cousin to Kamelot! (if they had another singer). In some parts “Disillusion” is the second less full force track on the album.

If the world would be fair this is the next big thing from Sweden. Technical and progressive but without being too intricate to the point where they can’t find their way out of the songs. This might be because the most of the songs aren’t above 9 minutes long. “Generation Fail” turns out to be (a hard pick) the albums stand out track. A future live favourite?

Who knew this small (read unknown) band would be an aspirant for the upper parts (as it seems now) of the album of the year list when it comes to do that. On “Save You” I for one can hear a bit of Matt Barlow in the deeper vocal ranges in the beginning of the song (However I can hear influences of Matt Barlow in the vocal parts of both ”Galacticde” and “Save You”) and ending it by going all Black Metal, still without the length of the song being longer than about 5 minutes. A cool twist to the song and album.

If you purchase the cd version you will find ”Black Neon Manifesto” as the final track. And if it is the future path of the band it seems even more thrilling.

So what are you waiting for. Go out and buy the album!

Band: Loch Vostok
Title: Opus Ferox – The Great Escape
Date of release: 21/07/30
Rate: 8/10
Stand Out track: Generation Fail
Label: Vicisolum Production
Country of origin: Sweden