BLOOD

Sure this is not what everybody expects from a collaboration between a former Dream Theater member (Kevin Moore) and Fates Warning guitarplayer (Jim Matheos). This album is oriented in a darker way that the previous two O.S.I. collaboration and the result is: my favorite album from 2009.

If you already knew the work of Kevin Moore in Chroma Key you will get very well this album. The ambience orientation and the soundscapes are stimulating while the heavy clear metal riffing of Matheos shake enough ground to you be entertained and stimulated. The robotic emotionless of Moore helps to develop better the concept of this history about spies and government lies. Of course, just like in the "Free" album, the topics are hiding behind regular struggles of life, just like any spy tries to do to pass overlooked. This is the thing that I feel great about the concept of O.S.I.: everybody can felt related to the lyrics, no matter the government is haunting us and I think we all tries to fit in with the regular lifes we suppose to live in our societies. So, maybe, the spy on the tale are us, hiding from ourselves. Don't know, but that's the feeling that the story brings me, especially because Moore's voice seems always out of emotion, like he's hiding something behind every word he sings.

Now, the music is like metal riffing with ambience sampling and layering. Nothing more really, but it stimulate my mind just great and the feeling is better when you travel alone in your car through a landscape or in the road during the night. Mike Portnoy is no more in the band and now Mr. Gavin Harrison provided the drums. I didn't expected nothing less for this great and measured drummer, but Portnoy remains more creative in the previous albums. Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth gave the vocals for maybe the darker song of the album: Stockholm. Nice to hear him not growling. The song is very intense in a slow pace development. The production is tip top, with an impressive quality sounding.

Be sure to get the special edition. There are only three songs extra, but they cover 20+ minutes of great music. No Celebrations is maybe the best song of the all productions. Lyrics and lead vocals brought by Tim Bowness. 4 stars because it's an excellent addition to any prog collection.

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