OH.

​ "Red Lion" sets the tone with guitars in a metal vein with fast tempo and typical toumperleki, also time to get used to this singular voice and used like musical waves. "Bee" denotes with the most beautiful flamenco intro, quickly leading to a frantic flight of guitars joining these tenacious voices, guitars which seem to juggle the notes and give several rhythms to this title. "Androgyny" begins with a dark-ethereal chorus allowing the guitar playing to find its way in a raw and jerky way; we are on animal metal-prog with certain riff notes that PAIN OF SALVATION likes between softness and brutality. We are then taken by an intoxicating looped solo making us forget time.

"Resurrection" where lugubrious beats call out from the intro, then the guitar goes for the melody to allow a crescendo musical structure to be exploited leading to an enjoyable, orgasmic finale and therefore in different variations. "Dragon's Kiss" is a harder track to listen to with cyclothymic percussion, metal guitars, breathtaking violins and once again captivating vocals giving primary energy; the images offered may come directly from the dark Scandinavian landscapes where elves and other dragons lurk, as if there are some there in Greece too. "Triumph" arrives just to conclude this ultra-fast and too-short CD: here in just over 3 minutes, the bass takes us into dark territory, the drums at a tempo where time itself seems to slow down with its heavy and heavy side. repetitive, the guitar(s) brings several solos in convolution and further confusing the supposed framework of this title while the wild, screaming voices, close to delirium, lead to incomprehension of the ears!

Retsina aside, every instrumental sound component via this whole album is clearly motivated and rigidly synchronized. Guess it would be a tough work for her to direct / mix this material for every single track. No suspicion she's done the hard work full of enthusiasm. And it's interesting she's included in Crossover subgenre in Progarchives ' every listener might have wondered why this album belongs to Crossover, I imagine. Basically she plays deeply and metallically ' she might create such a sound development with strong intention I guess, but the rhythmic basis is not tough for us headbanging and you can hear something catchy here and there. in acceptable melodic lines you should get immersed completely. And percussive footprints are definitely my comfort. Such a hearty seasoning should innovate her soundscape. On the contrary, each sound foundation is not so different from another for you enough to grab variation via her material maybe due to her massive attack to 'metal' but who cares? Her production along with splendid instrumental technique itself can be called progressive, let me say.

Anyway, Xinomavro in Naousa would be better for her deep, heavy soundscape.

And all the way from Athens, Greece we find one of those unique artists who has found a way to go somewhere i've never experienced and i have to admit that it's grown on me quite a bit. OH. (note the period that follows) is the abbreviated pseudonym and one-woman band aka Olivia Hadjiioannou who has cranked out a series of singles and three full releases. This one, METALLIA is the third and i'm not sure whether to call it an EP or an album because various sources list it either way but at a quick running time of only 25:22, i'm personally more inclined to call it an EP no matter what the artist deems it. That's just my take on releases under 30 minutes. There needs to be a United Nations declaration of human rights for these distinctions already!

Olivia or OH. is a true powerhouse as she single-handedly plays ALL the instruments on her albums. That includes the electric and acoustic guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals. METALLIA displays her in full action as she cranks out six tunes that are designed to be part of larger listening experience and like the Greek version of Joan of Arc, OH. is ready for battle as seen on the album cover and ready to kick some serious Olympian ass. After hearing this feisty little metal battle of the sonic senses, you may also come to the conclusion that she achieved victory. This is a concept album albeit a nebulous one that takes its cues from alchemy. While those aspects of this album escape me, the miracles of the elements of the music that transmogrify my spirit are enough to convince me of the effects.

METALLIA is quite unique as it takes percussive cues from more traditional ethnic sources such as Greek and Middle Eastern rhythms which conspire to create unifying rhythmic flows but also offer strange time signature rich deviations from the hypnotic status quo. While the umbrella term of progressive metal surely applies, this isn't the standard verse / chorus / bridge / solo type of material. Rhythmically speaking, this has more in common with military march music than say the airy fairy nature of Riverside. The distinct percussive drive is like a horse ride through the battle field with a certain steady flow with unforeseen angular deviations that pop up when least expected. This bombastic initiative provides the necessary backdrop for the other two major elements that reside indecently from each other but work beautifully in tandem, namely the atmospheric keyboards and the crunchy guitar riff workouts.

The music is easily accessible upon the first listening experience but also has enough complex subtleties to reel you back for more. With the rhythmic pulse established, OH. cranks out a dense atmospheric underpinning that finds exotic synth patterns emerging beneath the guitar oriented distortion that actually follows suit rather than leading the way. Vocals are another unique aspect of OH. as METALLIA is almost wordless. Her unique utterances are mostly used as a supplemental instrument that eschews the need for words to convey meaning but nevertheless provide the appropriate emotional stabs as they provide the pulse of a human connection to it all. While mostly wordless, there are times when OH. simply repeats the same word such as on the finale "Triumph," where she celebrates the defeat of the enemy by reciting the track title throughout its run.

For all its brevity, METALLIA packs a punch like a quickened battle on Middle Earth. With the epic nature of classic Manilla Road and trance metal guitar heft that weaves around the energetic Middle Eastern percussive flow, OH. displays not only her metal idiosyncrasies unlike any other but fortifies them with some serious progressive workouts that allow the complex atmospheric overcast to create the perfect metal storm of sensual goddess driven bombast like Kate Bush joined Slayer and decided to conquer Rome. Add to that there are subtle flamenco and industrial influences to create one of the strangest albums to fall under the prog metal banner of the year. And during the short time this short little slice of metal heaven is in the midst of the battle of the forces it is quite satisfying in the end that the supplicatory pleas of "Triumph" are heard no doubt with the help of Aphrodite, Zeus and other Greek deities who enjoyed this album as much as i did! έξοχος!

And then we get onto the music. If my ears are working correctly, I believe that Olivia is playing all the instruments she mentions, as opposed to triggering samples, which means that as well as playing guitar and bass she also provides the drums, toumperleki (the goblet drum ? I had to google this one), violin, keyboards and vocals. Vocals here are used as an additional instrument, with no lyrics as such. The two words that immediately spring to mind when playing this are "intensity" and 'chaos", but in a good way. It has ended up on PA in the Crossover category, but arguably this could be in prog metal, eclectic or even fusion, as it is all over the place with influences. The title is apt, as first and foremost this is a heavy album, full of multiple types of shade and complexity, with a little light here and there to provide relief. Time signatures change, bombastic elements come in and out, and it really feels like the listener is being swept along in a maelstrom, or being put inside a washing machine when it is at full pelt.

But, the chaos does have purpose, and melodies raise their heads and allow themselves to be heard before again diving down again for cover as the force takes over. The result is something that in many ways is quite draining to listen to, as it is takes quite a deal out of the listener, at least if the correct attention is being paid towards it. It also needs to be played loudly, very loudly, but my sheep are used to hearing strange sounds going out to the paddocks and it didn't seem to faze them too much. This is the first release I have heard from Oh., and I look forward to what comes next as this is an incredibly complex and chaotic album that is a real discovery.

It's said that "Metallia" is a single 25-minute epic composition while each track on the CD is just a part of it. In accordance with the booklet, each Part/track depicts a symbol or a scene with several symbolic elements. For example, "Red Lion" is presented as a holder of the inner Fire; he inspires intelligence, imagination, and life but he can't escape the prison of the Earth plane and can't free himself with his own power. Or "Bee" who is a collector of spiritual gold which in fact is experiences obtained under the varying circumstances of life. Or "Dragon" who is an epitome of the universal unconscious and can give the wings to travel within the inner realms. In other words, the album's (or to be more correct, the composition's) dramatic concept is pretty close to the Tarot card game, while the album's idea is to reveal it through purely instrumental music.

In general, "Metallia" fits well the subgenre category of Experimental/Progressive-Metal but the specific elements of music are changing from one Part of the composition to another. Whether the accent throughout this multi-layered and texturized sonic content is placed on fierce time-shifting electric guitar soloing, massively grooving riffs, ecstatically blasting beats, or acoustic guitar flamenco patterns, delicate violin passes, bewitching toumperleki splashes, and sultry esoteric vocalizations - everything is subordinated here to the purpose of revealing a dramatic symbol or a scene of several symbols in its multicolored, emotional and esoteric density and complexity. No lyrical vocal here, though judging from "Sleeping World" EP (2013) and a series of four non-album singles (2016-2018) Olivia H. is an amazing dramatic singer. I would say that her ethereal wordless vocalization performance sounds perfect in the context of "Metallia" and brings more expression to the instrumental music. In some sense, Olivia H. follows the same pathway than Lili Refrain, female composer, multi-instrumentalist, and sound-producer from Rome, Italy (not featured at ProgArchives, I guess). But I mean only general creative principles and visions, as OH. music is less dark, ominous, delirious, and arguably more "progressive".

It's still a mystery to me, how a young lady like Olivia can invent, perform, and produce such a gorgeous piece of musical art. I suppose she got somehow a blessing from the forgotten gods of Olympus... No, really. It's a wonderfully creative and inventive EP which sounds much more substantial and thought-provoking than many recordings from well-known grandees of modern instrumental Prog-Metal. My only complain is that the album is way too short. The ideas and visions of this music definitely need to be expanded and developed. Nevertheless, if you dig into conceptually illustrative Experimental/Progressive-Metal with mastery and mystery, heart, intellect, and passion - get "Metallia" for sure!

Here are words to describe Olivia Hadjiioannou, otherwise known as OH.:

Obsessive. Thorough. Perfectionistic. Musician. Artist. Driven. Thoughtful. Reflective. Spiritual. Brilliant. Profound. Guide. Provocateur. Prophetic. Seeker. Thinker. Student. Teacher.

It's important to know this when listening to "Metallia", and no, it has no relationship with a heavy metal outfit you may have heard of in other sectors.

"Metallia" is the third album released by Ms. H. with her musical career apparently taking wings in her childhood. She is a multi-instrumentalist from Greece.

Titles and concepts in this fairly short EP are drawn from alchemy, and although I am not a scholar of that lore, nor of C. G. Jung, Ms. H. does appear to be one.

Therefore, for better or worse, I found myself doing some background reading on alchemy and some of the terms mentioned in explanatory materials Ms. H. provided.

Although the entire EP is around 25 minutes duration, it is a dense, complex work that made me work for it. A lot.

Every minute of the background study and the multiple listenings were well-worth it. Although musically far distant from that found in "Orbitas" from Chilean band TRYO, I thought the intentions and concerns of each are closely related.

OK. Back to that term "Spiritual Journey".

Ms. H. explicitly states her intentions are to take listeners on "a six-part journey to extract from your mind pure visions, to mend your mental pictures, preen presumptions and to elicit an element of the unexpected?. because that is what will transmute your subliminal mind map into a remarkable blueprint which will lead you from wherever you are now, to wherever you want to be."

She uses ancient alchemical terms and ideas in the titles and subtitles to illustrate this journey. I think it's commendable that Ms. H. took considerable time and energy, as well, to describe and illuminate these concepts in her website.

The quest for the "Philosopher's Stone" is the stated aim, and in essence that means becoming spiritually integrated and aware, able to transcend forces that attempt to crush and destroy the human spirit.

An old saying from the recovery world goes something like this: We are not human beings having spiritual experiences, we are spiritual beings having human experiences.

For me, this album focused on that idea.

Now, the music.

Cacophonous, complex, illustrative, dense, awash in radiance, terrifying, challenging- all of it driven by the taut, ferocious guitar work and instrumental mastery demonstrated by Ms. H.

Waves of feminine choral sounds weave in and out of the tapestry, washes of intensity rarely relenting, leading me to recall why at one point in my younger days I was strongly drawn to consider using psychedelic drugs. Mind expansion, spirit expansion. Transcendence. Enlightenment.

I thought the music must be considered a language of its own, and interpreting another's language is risky and delicate.

Yet, if you do take time to listen and not only listen, but HEAR, you will be rewarded, even, perhaps, transformed.

Olivia plays all the instruments here including bass, drums, guitar and keyboards as well as the spoken words on the title track. I did feel a little disappointed when I read somewhere else that the vocals on her EP reminded the reviewer of Anneke Van Giesbergen and Sharon Den Adel two vocalists that I consider right at the top of my favourite female singers. Regardless the music here is what I would describe as "Metal" and was somewhat surprised that this project is listed under Crossover and not Prog-Metal but then again I haven't heard the EP, plus it may be because there are only two songs over 4 minutes here at 4:01 and 4:21 respectively. While the songs are short this is supposed to be one long suite but is broken down into parts for radio airplay purposes.

I won't go track by track as there is a somewhat a samey feel throughout this recording which isn't a negative for me at all. It is fairly heavy and dark with heavy riffs and prominent drums. I do really like "Elegy", especially the way it starts with keys and some atmosphere. Also the instrumental version of "Synemotion" is probably my favourite with those vocal melodies and the contrast of the heavy and lighter passages.

Without a doubt this is a good album but I must admit i'm tougher on one man(or woman) projects as I prefer bands. My Brother In Law has made several Krautrock/ Psychedelic recording that I prefer to pretty much any other one person project i've heard as he also plays all the instruments and records them and puts it all together in his rather rudimentary studio.

24 minutes is enough to understand that here we deal with a very talented individual, who not only composes and performs all her music by herself, but also arranges all aspects and produces the final result in a very professional manner. The statement is pretty clear: a Sleeping World that needs to wake up before it's too late.

The EP boasts of pure feelings and dynamism, projecting at the same time the enthusiasm of a young artist and the maturity of an accomplished composer with clear goals. Sleeping World, although immersed in a pool of generally accessible and mainstream pop prog music, displays moods of anger, rebellion and a sense of change, within the relatively simple but emotionally strong lyrics.

The biggest assets in this EP are Olivia's diverse voice, who seems able to sing in any style, and the very careful and polished mixing and general production of the album, which in itself is a skill and lifts off Olivia's compositions. Although constantly maintaining a mainstream character, the music itself ranges from pop (Trials, Forget It), to heavy electro rock, blends elements of symphonic prog, metal and ethnic among others! Comparisons have been made to Kate Bush and Tori Amos, but there is so much here that can be said about influences: I can hear the pop side of Paradise Lost (opening track) and Florence and the Machine at the same time, Mandylion-era The Gathering (Banned by the Deep) and all the beauty of symphonic prog in the simple, yet moving, I am the Pleasure, dominated by acoustic guitars. Add to the above the very smart use of violin, which is spot on and adds an element of grandeur to the project, and you end up with a very promising result.

The tracks have an average duration of 4 minutes and simple structure (possibly the only thing that might disappoint a hardcore prog fan) but this is counterbalanced by the life that has been injected into them. A great promise for Greek progressive music, and in making it appeal to wider audiences.

3.5 stars

Highlights: Banned by the Deep, I am the Pleasure

Thematically the EP revolves around some of the struggles of modern life in our rapidly changing society. Olivia delivers the lyrics in a range of styles, from soulful and moody to strident and at times raw and unrestrained. And when she cranks it up, it's verging on spine tingling.

In terms of instrumentation, there's beautiful acoustic guitar and some great heavier riffing, and a smattering of smokin' lead as well. There's also a few catchy synth hooks, such as the one featured in "Have You Ever", which is probably my favourite track. On this song Olivia ramps it up with some chugging distorted guitar and those amazing vocals. This is definitely one of the proggier tracks and also features some interesting percussion to add some flavour.

While there's definitely plenty for prog fans to take away from this EP, there's also no shortage of mainstream appeal and I wouldn't be surprised if there are big things in store for OH.

However, the neat thing is: This EP is quite good. The artist, Olivia, has a great voice that she is not afraid to use in unconventional ways. She does things I never thought I'd hear a female vocalist do. On the other hand, the guitars have bite, the drumming is proggy, and the keys create a great ambiance and atmosphere. On top of that, there are wonderful melodies and some rather original song structures that I found tantalizing. This is a great prog album---no doubt about that. Not only does she do everything, she does everything WELL.

So, I hope to hear more from OH. I hope others check out this EP (it's on Spotify), and I hope she gets some exposure. She's done a great job of distinguishing herself.