Style: Post-black metal
Primary Emotions/Themes: A powerful ebb and flow of musical intensity
Thoughts: My personal history with this release is a bit comedic. I heard a lot of these songs in demo form before the album was even released. The drummer of the band and I met years ago in an online forum and formed a bit of a bond. The thing is that he never told me the name of his band.
It wasn't until a few years later that I asked him if his band was opening for Oar. That's when he threw the bombshell on me: his band was Oar! I had bought the record without knowing that it was his band. Looking back the whole affair is a bit comedic, if not a little embarrassing on my part.
History aside, the music on The Blood You Crave is much akin to waves crashing into a shore. There are periods of great calm, and periods of incredible violence throughout the forty five minute run time. The band has mastered the art of knowing when to blast at full speed and when to pull back the reigns just a bit to allow the music to marinate.
While other bands have done this style in the past, many releases in this field lack consistency. Even classics such as Altar of Plagues White Tomb has points where I lose interest because of the direction the band takes the song. That is not the case with The Blood You Crave.
This album is consistent from front to back, and it knows exactly when to shift gears. Nothing ever lasts too long, or too short. Just when I think that the music is due for a change, something does. A new guitar lead, an acoustic breakdown. A shift that drives the song in a completely new direction. The ebb and flow of the album is exceptional.
Oar's debut is an album that I enjoyed even before I knew that my buddy was in the band. Knowing that he's the one behind the skins makes this album that much more enjoyable. I am delighted to have this album in my collection and am eagerly looking forward to seeing where the band goes in the future.
Written June 21st 2024
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