BLOOD

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OSI, a supergroup composed of a merry-go-round of players in the progressive rock/metal world but with a nucleus containing Kevin Moore (Dream Theater, Chroma Key) and Jim Matheos (Fate's Warning), will be releasing their 3rd album, Blood, in the United States on May 17th. We got a chance to preview this record, and have two reviews prepared - one from a longtime fan of OSI and the other from someone who has never heard of the band.

The Longtime Fan's Perspective:

Let me preface this by saying that I've been a fan of OSI since the inception of the band. In fact the driving force behind OSI, Kevin Moore, has been a musical influence of mine since he was playing keyboards for the well-known progressive metal band Dream Theater. In between his work with Dream Theater and the more recent albums with OSI, Kevin seemed to find his own sense of place with a band he called Chroma Key. Mostly piano driven but with touches of electronic music and heavier rock that would foreshadow future work, Chroma Key pulled from a wide variety of influences and expanded the network of musicians with whom Kevin was already familiar.

OSI is an acronym for a government agency (Office of Strategic Influence) that was formed after September 11th, 2001 to promote US causes both here in the United States and abroad. Their first album, Office of Strategic Influence, was noticeably political-minded but the sophomore effort, Free, slipped out of this mindset and concentrated more on the music - creating a mesh of ambient electronica, progressive rock and heavy metal. While this musical "jelly" still has yet to become fully formed, OSI's newest effort, Blood, marks a turning point in the music's development.

OSI is Kevin Moore on keyboards/vocals/processing and Jim Matheos (Fate's Warning) on guitars. Although the previous two albums featured Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) on drums, this time around the spot has been filled by Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree) who is certainly no slouch behind the kit. In addition, Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth) co-writes and provides guest vocals on the track "Stockholm".

"The Escape Artist" A heavy, driving guitar riff provides the backdrop here over which are layers of keyboards and effects that compliment the simple, haunting vocal lines throughout the song. "You move mysterious, but you speak in gibberish. You can take your memories, I'm off I better be alone, alone.." The song seems to be about someone who always gets in too deep, becomes too emotionally invested in something or someone and then backs out - runs away. Although this is an upbeat song with a fairly quick tempo, it almost makes me sad to listen to - an interesting contrast.

"Terminal" Definitely a remnant of Dead Air for Radios era Chroma Key, "Terminal" is post-processing heavy, loop-based, ambient electronica. Lyrics: "Going, going, going - feet don't fail me", "I'll be gone, before the daylight saving is through".. like "The Escape Artist", "Terminal" is about someone leaving, escaping whatever reality they are currently in. I'm not sure if this is just a dream or something that is actually happening, but the name and lyrics suggest that perhaps this is an airplane terminal.

"False Start" Launches out of the gates with a flood of distortion and quick, tight drum patterns. Where the first two tracks are contemplative, and reflective in nature, "False Start" seems angry, even bitter: "I'm not your medicine". A fairly short track, but I don't think it needs to be any longer. This song is an emotional jerk and I'm still not entirely sure of the meaning, other than the obvious.

"We Come Undone" Everything is unraveling, and if there was before any semblance of control it is quickly disappearing. "The enemy is at the gate.. slowly we come undone..", we revisit a more electronic style of music here, although the musicianship is not to be questioned. I wonder if this is the same character that we've been following so far.. if the guilt felt for running away from someone or something is starting to manifest itself.

"Radiologue" This feels comfortable to me, the OSI that I am already familiar with - an all-encompassing sound with lyrics that seem to float softly out in front in strange patterns and shapes. A driving force, a feeling like heading downhill. "Can't go on.. can't go back", "heard your voice, calling through the noise.. wrote it in the radiologue", "hurt my head, wondering what you said.. so I threw it overboard". Abruptly stopping for an interlude and then exploding into a hugely powerful riff, the music is reflecting more inner chaos and guilt, too many thoughts to fit inside of one head perhaps.

"Be The Hero" There's something wrong, or maybe we are still inside the character's head, as we seemed to be in "Radiologue". The music playing out here seems to be reflecting two sides of a psyche, one much weaker than the other. The adrenaline pumping, can-do-anything part of the mind (Id) comes to the forefront here. Full of energy and bravado and with no sense of loss and/or guilt that we saw previously, "Be the Hero" is all about NOW instead of the whole picture.

"Microburst Alert" Like flying into the middle of a storm, this song is chaotic but has a very natural feel as well. When instruments change and warp mid-phrase it's something that should happen - it just feels right. Like Kevin Moore plucked this discordant mess right out of the universal stream of consciousness and straightened it up a bit. There's a dialogue going on here between a pilot and air traffic control, but this song is more about a feeling than following the dialogue too closely.

"Stockholm" Co-written and voiced by Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt, "Stockholm" feels intensely like an Opeth or Porcupine Tree song - very subdued and well orchestrated. This is not a coincidence, as Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) is closely tied to Opeth's production and songwriting and even collaborated with OSI on a previous album. Mikael wrote the lyrics for this song and it doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the album lyrically, but it does present images of suspense and death, which may fit thematically. If we are to believe that our character is torn between two places in life, or good and evil, or bravado and submission, then "Stockholm" may well represent a decision being made; a collapse of one side of the inner struggle of the psyche. Or it could just be track eight.

"Blood" A low, growling bass line and piercing guitar riff layer nicely over the album's ubiquitous electronic effects and Gavin Harrison's well thought out drum patterns. "You helped me to cut our losses.. cause dreaming isn't living.. don't come home". Our character has obviously made a choice, I don't know if it was just running away, or if it ended in death (maybe death and war are just metaphors here), but I'm going to keep listening to the album until I figure it out. Like the other albums in OSI's catalog, "Blood" is fairly short (47 minutes and change), and it always leaves me wanting more.

Overall, I think Blood is the most complete album that OSI has made - I tried to find a common thread in all of the tracks linking them together, but I have no idea if I'm on the right track or not. I don't really give a damn either, though, because the story of this nameless character that is running away from something and has an inner struggle which results in perhaps the wrong side winning is what I hear when I listen to this album. I think that "Terminal" and "Stockholm" could have been left off this CD in order to maintain a better flow between tracks - but as a fan of OSI, I'm going to keep listening and maybe I'll find something I didn't see before. Blood currently holds the top spot in my CD rotation, but there will be a lot of new releases this Summer including albums from Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree and Pain of Salvation. We'll see if it's still sitting on top after all of that..

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A Fresh Ear's Perspective:

False Start: Clocking in as the shortest song on the album, it doesn't let up or falter out of pace. It ends up administering just the right dosage of heavy riffs and pumping momentum. Moore croons casually "You were wrong, you were wrong, it's just another false start," and other words over a nice thick layering of distorted guitar and driving beat. Not much experimentation is taking chance with this one, but it succeeds as a straight up rocker.

Radiologue: Octavated guitar plucking prominates an ominous opening that enters into big smacking beats, buzzing with electronics. The sounds spread as the song progresses, filling out as the chords build and percussive pops and pings ornament and pan the landscape. The track satisfies in a way that belies its six minute length. You are easily lost in its dark grooves and unflagging intensity. Very well crafted and detailed composition.

Microburst Alert: The first two minutes of this one is a hell of a jam for drums(enjoyed here by Porcupine Tree's Gavin Harrison). It's one of those where you fall in and immerse yourself. It later opens up and heavys down, but overall pulls itself off as a very nice instrumental piece.

The album makes a swell choice in starting with "The Escape Artist." After the initial flecking of keys, the track parks itself into a solid strut with commanding guitars demanding your attention. One would usually expect to hear the voice come in with the likes of throaty shouts or growls, attempting to mirror the grit of the other instruments. In OSI we hear a completely opposite approach. No matter how aggressive the sound might be, Kevin Moore keeps a tranquil tone if not a bit discontented. In most cases he sounds as if confiding with you something he truly needs to let out. This results in the songs feeling more personal than if he chose to louden up or abrade his vocals. You end up listening in rather than reaching for ear plugs.

Blood does not beat any horses to death. Each song is its own, which makes repeat listening easy if you felt like revisiting a track of particular interest. There are driven rock tunes, spacey electronica, and a few more undefined examples of what is known as prog rock. Collectively, the album offers a good variety of concoctions from the lab of Kevin Moore and Jim Matheos. Although it is more risky to leave out an obvious stamp on each song(my guess is the easiest way to recognize one of theirs is by the vocals), it is also more daring to do, not to mention it demonstrates a wider range of skill. While I don't normally indulge in music of this genre, several tracks have won me over and continue to pleasure me.

Carries oxygen to the brain.

Blood is the third album from supergroup OSI. Composed at its core of Jim Mathoes and Kevin Moore (ex-Dream Theater), this band first shook the progressive world with the release of their self-titled album back in 2003. Thanks to an eerie soundscape built by Moore's keyboards likely during his time working on Chroma Key the album enjoys status as a cult classic in the experimental progressive world, a pure mix of atmosphere and metal textures. They followed this up with the release of Free in 2006, an album less focused on being traditionally progressive and more about electronics and hard rock. Free was also the first album I ever reviewed for this site, so I find it appropriate to be typing away on their third release, Blood.

This has been a fairly anticipated album thanks to a number of things, and first off on the list is the guest stars. Recruited on drums this time around is percussion master and Porcupine Tree member, Gavin Harrison, who lends his very distinguishable sound to the album without drawing it close to PT comparisons. The other addition to the album isn't around throughout, but does make an appearance on Stockholm, and that would be none other than Opeth frontman, Mikael Akerfeldt. He definitely switches up the music a bit thanks to his very dark voice which admittedly sounds a lot less robotic than Moore's, although he is very restrained on the tune. Anyone expecting Akerfeldt to unleash some death growls will be disappointed, but those who just love his singing voice will likely approve.

Style wise, this album may well have been a literal combination of the band's last two efforts. I makes for a very refreshing album overall, since the songs are not quite as long in length, but are no doubt just as ''progressive'' as one would expect them to be. They're still harshly dark, maybe more so than previous albums, and a little less on the electronica side of things, which is a nice change from Free and the EP Re: Free.

Among the songs themselves there's a lot to look forward to. Things get off to a blistering start with The Escape Artist which rings of Sure You Will from Free but with a more rock oriented direction and less repetition in the chorus, making it the perfect start. Terminal is a slow and brooding tune that utilizes Moore's voice and odd choice of lyrics to create a terrifying atmosphere over the course of the song. False Start is another hard rocker in the vein of Free's title track but with more atmosphere.

But it's the second half of the album where things really start to get good. If the first half is where the majority of the comparisons to Free come in, then the second half definitely has to be the one closer in kin with the band's debut. Radiologue is another song that makes the most of the more atmospheric side of things, still somehow managing to channel the spirit of metal to make the song into a very formidable force. From there Be The Hero rocks out with some meaningful lyrics and is probably the last time on the album where things are simply really heavy. Microburst Alert is the album's instrumental track, much in the same fashion as The New Math from the debut album - there's garbled conversation underneath the tracks until you can clearly hear someone yell, 'whoa! Stop! Stop! Stop!', at which point the music takes a turn from standard instrumental to 'blast your brains out awesome' with chugging guitars and mean rhythms until things all slow back down again for the conclusion.

The two concluding tracks almost run together, but are just another one of the standout points of the album. Stolkholm as previously mentioned, is fronted my Mikael Akerfeldt, and to describe how it sounds... imagine OSI doing a cover of one of the slow songs from Ghost Reveries with Akerfeldt at the helm and you've pretty much nailed the sound. It's unique, and so long as you don't go into it expecting it to be a death metal epic then you're likely going to enjoy the hell out of it. Much against the grain of what OSI normally does, Blood does not conclude with a soft and melancholy song like Standby (Looks Like Rain) or Our Town. This one doesn't go out with a bang either, this one drags you into a dark vortex with the short but effective opus, Blood, which comes off as a 5-minute extension to Stockholm with Moore constructing some of the most evil soundscapes you've ever heard. This is likely the song that's going to take the longest to catch on with most listeners, but damn is it ever rewarding.

Overall this is a strong release from one of the best modern artists of this progressive era. A definite improvement over their sophomore album and something that's going to give most of the releases this year a run for their money in the ''best album of the year'' department. Dark, evil and yet somehow sickeningly sweet to listen to, OSI's Blood walks away with a strong 4 blood cells out of 5, highly recommended.

I was so eager to listen to this album, and when I finally did I was practically slapped in the face with how awful it was. It took me a long time to tolerate Kevin Moore's muffled monotonic cold vocal style and sound. Whatever symbol it was supposed to represent destroyed the songs.

If we surgically isolate Kevin's voice, there is not much left there. The most thing I was excited about was Gavin's drumming and it left so much to desire. I expected Porcupine Tree-style fluidity and breathing, but no. I guess it takes more than just a drummer to create an awesome sound... or destroy it. (e.g. producer, mixer, sound engineer, etc.)

To sum up, I don't see how I could listen to this again. I'll stick with The Thing That Never Was and ShutDOWN.

And Kevin? Please stop singing.

Having not enjoyed the cold and clinical sound of OSI's first 2 albums I may be a little mad to shell out for Blood too but what drew me in was the inclusion of one of my favourite drummers, Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree fame, who incidentally puts in a fine performance. Well while Blood is unlikely to be in my top 10 albums of 2009 it turns out to be my favourite release by the band.

Getting the complaints out the way first..well I still don't like Kevin Moore's monotone vocal delivery despite the fact that they fit in well with the modernistic electronic post metal sound. Fortunately Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth) comes to the rescue on one track - Stockholm.

One of my biggest problems with their previous album Free was I felt Jim Matheos was underused on guitar; well I'm pleased to say he's much more to the fore here turning in some strong riffs throughout on the likes of album opener The Escape Artist ably assisted by Gavin Harrison's distinctive impeccably timed drumming driving the song along. It's one of the better tracks with Moore's synth noodlings kept in check by Matheos' powerful riffing. Equally heavy and just as good is the short but sweet False Start.

Despite my preference for 70's style keyboard sounds, perhaps partly because I now know what to expect from Moore I find myself more tolerant of his sequencers and modern synth sounds and quite enjoy some of the atmospheric textures he creates on the likes of The Terminal and We Come Undone.

I also enjoyed the powerful Radiologue with its hypnotic groove and equally so Be The Hero. Microburst Alert is a bit of a throwaway track but a pleasant surprise towards the end of the album is Stockholm not least because of Mikael Akerfeldt taking over from Moore on vocals. It's a laid back moody piece until Matheos introduces some heavy riffing close to the end with a fine performance from Akerfeldt, fortunately not in death metal vocal mode. Title track Blood is a strong closer too, like Stockholm a moody atmospheric track but more powerful.

Somewhat surprising, if you happen to own the bonus disc version is the fact that No Celebrations has been relegated to a bonus track. It's has a fantastic riff from Matheos and actually heavier than any of the other tracks and superior to at least half the album.

Overall Blood is a big improvement on past OSI albums, not only because of Matheos being a more dominant force in the guitar department but also for the more imaginative and interesting arrangements. Finally an OSI album I haven't regretted buying!

If you liked either of the last two OSI albums, you'll probably like this. This album is not a revolution in progressive music, but more of a refinement of the previous albums, combining the raw energy of Office of Strategic Influence with the electronic Chroma Key-esque stylings of Free. The main difference is in the drumming: this album features Gavin Harrison instead of Mike Portnoy. Consequently, the drumming sounds very similar to that found on more recent Porcupine Tree albums.

Most of the album can be divided into two camps: the heavier, more metal tracks (likely more the work of Mattheos) and the more mellow, ambient tracks (Moore's contributions likely being more prominent here). There is a roughly 50/50 split between the time on the album dedicated to these tracks.

Of the heavier tracks, The Escape Artist is probably the strongest. A more straightforward song with a great riff and brilliant chorus make this an excellent starting track. False Start is a more experimental track: good but without the polish which The Escape Artist has. Radiologue is another excellent track, combining energy with very atmospheric keyboards and some of Moore's more emotional singing. Be the Hero has a mellow, ambient opening before going into a heavy riff similar to those seen on earlier tracks. This track seems less inspired than other heavier tracks, with a rather forced chorus. Microburst Alert is a very experimental instrumental track; its experimental nature makes it something of a love-hate track.

The more mellow tracks have more in common with Chroma Key than OSI (aside from the absence of pianos on the album). These tracks are all very atmospheric and not as varied as the heavier tracks: the strongest are probably Terminal, Stockholm and Blood, though none are an unpleasant listen.

Perhaps the only issue which seriously harms the album's quality is Kevin Moore's singing, which at best is an acquired taste. In Chroma Key his bland, monotonic voice is suited to the music and complements it. However, his voice sounds out-of-place on a progressive metal album, particularly the heavier tracks. The aforementioned chorus in Be The Hero stands out as being an example of where his singing weakens the music. Mikael Åkerfeldt's vocals on Stockholm provide a breath of fresh air (and fortunately, he doesn't use death growls).

Is the special edition worth buying for the bonus CD? No Celebrations is another strong heavy track, with another strong guest vocalist in Tim Bowness. This track is very good, definitely better than some of the tracks on the main CD (We Come Undone and Be The Hero spring to mind). Christian Brothers is a cover of a song I've never heard of - it sounds good, but not great, and is missing the atmosphere created by the keyboards/synths on the rest of the album. Terminal (Endless) is an extended version of Terminal (expanded from 6:29 to 10:21). Some of the ambient sections are lengthened, but these additions aren't life-changing. I would advise the special edition only for the OSI enthusiast.

It took a few listens, but I think this is probably the finest OSI album released so far, combining the strong points of both the first albums. If you liked either of the previous albums, this is recommended to you. For anyone interested in this band, this is the place to start.

I'm a huge fan of this side project of Jim Matheos (FATES WARNING) and Kevin Moore (CHROMA KEY). In fact these two guys are two of my favourite musicians and the bands they represent are near the top of my list as well. There are differences between each of the three albums these guys have recorded but if you like one of them chances are you'll like them all. They really combine the Metal of Matheos and the Electronica of Moore to interesting results. The guests this band has had over these three albums has also been impressive. Mike Portnoy played drums on the first two while we get Gavin Harrison this time around. Mikael Akerfeldt sings and plays on one track ("Stockholm") while Tim Bowness also sings on an amazing tune called "No Celebrations" on the bonus disk which is well worth getting.

"The Escape Artist" opens with guitar and synths followed by drums and then it kicks in with heavy riffs. Nice. Vocals follow and I really like the chorus. It settles 3 1/2 minutes in then Matheos comes in grinding away a minute later as it kicks back in. "Terminal" opens with bass and drums as synths join in. Vocals before 1 1/2 minutes. A very atmospheric and melancholic track. The drums are so crisp 6 minutes in. "False Start" is a straight up rocker. It kicks in heavily right off the hop before settling with electronics. Contrasts continue. Vocals a minute in.The guitar is heavy a minute later. "We Come Undone" opens with some atmosphere then vocals and a beat come in before a minute. Some spoken word samples as well before 3 minutes. A laid back atmospheric tune. "Radiologue" opens with sounds that build before it settles into a cool beat with electronics. Vocals a minute in. Amazing sound after 4 minutes. Great tune that reminds me of CHROMA KEY. "Be The Hero" opens with a haunting atmosphere before kicking in loudly after a minute (it comes and goes). After 2 minutes we get heavy riffs. Vocals join in. I like the catchy line : "He's a hero from coast to coast yeah".

"Microburst Alert" has some incredible drum patterns early then we get vocal samples, then back to the beat as contrasts continue. It kicks in at 2 1/2 minutes. The lyrics for "Stockholm" were written by Akerfeldt but Moore / Matheos wrote the music. The music is dark and atmospheric. Vocals a minute in. It stays fairly laid back until before 5 1/2 minutes in when it turns heavy and intense before settling back down. Love the drumming early on the title track "Blood". Guitar comes in and then keys. Vocals 1 1/2 minutes in. Keys and atmosphere after 3 minutes. A fuller sound with vocals a minute later. I have the bonus disc fortunately because the best song of the lot is "No Celebrations" written and sung by Tim Bowness. I'm surprised at how good his vocals sound with heavy music. They are fantastic ! A nice heavy sound to open and the drums sound incredible. Heaviness follows then Tim comes in. I really like the synths too. Matheos lights it up 3 1/2 minutes in. If your a NO-MAN fan you need to check this song out. "Christian Brothers" is my least favourite. It just doesn't sound like it belongs. It's completely different from all the others. More of a FOO FIGHTERS styed song with f-bombs. It's good but a little out of place. "Terminal (Endless)" is great. Very CHROMA KEY-like and one of my favourites. Lots of atmosphere and electronics with Kevin's melancholic vocals.

Another great OSI album and a solid 4 stars.

Blood is the third full-length studio album by US progressive rock/ metal act OSI. I remember being very enthusiastic when the debut album Office of Strategic Influence (2003) by OSI when that one was released. Being a fan of both Dream Theater, Fates Warning and to some degree Chroma Key of course meant that I had to check out that album and I was not disappointed. When OSI released their second studio album Free (2006) my enthusiasm with the project cooled a bit as I found that the album basically sounded just like another Chroma Key album. Not bad at all just not what I expected. So I wasn´t expecting too much from Blood. I´ve been pleasantly surprised though.

The music style is still unmistakably OSI. Atmospheric/ ambient progressive rock mixed with occasional heavy riffing by guitarist Jim Matheos ( Fates Warning). The mellow and rather monotone vocals by Kevin Moore ( Dream Theater, Chroma Key) are an aquired taste and I´ve heard many people complaining about them. I think they have the right amount of bleak melancholi to satisfy my taste so I have no problem with them. I think they suit the music well. There´s been a lineup change as Mike Portnoy ( Dream Theater) does not play the drums on Blood. New drummer is Gavin Harrison ( Porcupine Tree). The latter does a great job here and Mike Portnoy is not missed a second. The songs range from heavy rock/ metal songs with lots of keyboards and electronic elements and the more ambient electronic songs that remind me of the style of music Kevin Moore plays in his other project Chroma Key. There are most songs in the latter catagory though and that´s probably my biggest complaint with Blood. It´s not that I don´t enjoy those songs. On the contrary I actually enjoy them much but the thing I found so great about the debut album was that Kevin Moore and Jim Matheos seemed to collaborate a lot in the songwriting process and that doesn´t seem to be the case on either Free nor on Blood. Most songs seem to have been written solely by one member and then arranged afterwards by the band. This is only me guessing of course but that´s how it sounds to me.

The musicianship on the album is excellent. Great drums, guitar/ bass and Kevin Moore is innovative on the keyboards and with the electronics as always. While Kevin Moore is the main vocalist on the album we get a few guest vocal appearances too. Mikael Åkerfeldt ( Opeth, Bloodbath) guests on Stockholm while Tim Bowness ( No-Man) guests on the title track.

The production is excellent.

I must admit that I had given up on OSI after Free but as always my curiosity grew to a point where I had to purchase Blood. While I don´t find Blood as accomplished as Office of Strategic Influence I think it´s a step in the right direction compared to Free and I can recommend checking out the album. 3.5 stars.

A refreshing journey. Metal meets ambience in the perfect balance.

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.

We can,t dine that OSI has become a very productive band ,with very good musicians.

I agree with some of the comments.

Here you can,t expect a very complex prog post metal. Is quite simple ,quite poppy, quite easy listening.

Here we find similar music as nowadays King Crimson or a Perfect Circle.

Very attractive mix of ritmic sounds and melodies.

Yes may be the first OSI album was more complex ..with the typical Kevin Moore strong influence (Chroma Key kind).

Well a pleasure to listen this album but is without doubt very far to be masterpiece of exp p metal or general prog.rock.

3 stars will be a reasonable average

This is the first OSI album that I deeply hear in its integrity... And I'm really surprised!

I'm not exactly surprised for the originality of the songs, because they are a mix between modern metal and Kevin Moore's Chroma Key, and it's nothing really new or groundbreaking... I'm surprised for the great quality of every track included here! I think that Jim Matheos and Kevin Moore have real chemistry making music, because it's hard to find a better mix between guitars and ambiental keyboards out there.

Both the more ambiental tracks (Terminal, Radiologue...) and the harder songs (The Escape Artist, Be the Hero...) are prime quality experimental metal tunes. The collaborations also make the album even better. Mikael Akerfeldt sings great in Stockholm, and Tim Bowness's interpretation is also very interesting in the bonus and very worthy track No Celebrations, in a very different style of what he makes with Steve Wilson in No-Man.

And of course, the presence of Gavin Harrison is another point in favour of this album... His technical and really talented drumming fits perfectly to this music, and he gives a lot of textures to the songs, and tons of power in the harder tracks. I don't know how has Mike Portnoy with OSI, because I've not heard the other band's albums, but Harrison sounds like he is with them for years.

Best tracks: I like every song of the album... It's really homogene. But I specially enjoy with the splendid ambiental track Terminal (specially the longer version...), the powerful Be the Hero, the intense Radiologue, and the great guitar melodies in Blood.

Conclusion: I really like this album, and I'm really surpised with the quality of the music made by this two talented musician, with the help of great collaboration like the awesome Gavin Harrison's drums. So if you want to hear powerful metal tunes in the vein of the harder Porcupine Tree's moments, mixed with ambiental electronic music similar to things like Chroma Key, "Blood" will provide you a great listening time! Strongly recommended.

My rating: ****

Third time out for OSI, and this time around they continue exploring the sound from previous effort Free - blending ambient and electronic elements with details from progressive metal territories.

The compositions are somewhat less embellished in structure on this most recent effort though, fewer shifts in pace and sound and not as many surprising developments by far. Nor as many really compelling moods when it comes to that.

It's still a good effort though, but with a few weak tracks and not as many really thrilling excursions as on Free, Blood is a somewhat weaker effort. A good album overall though, and those who enjoyed their previous effort will find much to enjoy on this one as well.

Same recipe, but still awesome.

Some girls (sorry guys) are good at recycling everything in the fridge, and STILL make a great meal out of it. Like a thick omelette with the same ingredients, I don't get tired of OSI. They are good, they are great, they're fantastic: the monotone singing, the sharp guitars, the sophisticated sampling feel of an espionnage movie; it's irresistible. Kevin Moore is what's missing today with DT: sophistication. Mateos is ripping the strings with as much energy as before, and Harrisson is wearing Portnoy's shoes with ease. A winning combination with hemoglobine, ematocytes and sweat.

If you loved the other two, this one will remove efficiently the wax from your ears.

More of the same remains a good thing for "Blood", but it's a close call.

This release features a slickly produced, modern metal sound with hefty doses of electronic class. Kevin Moore's signature is all over this one, with his distinctively enjoyable ambient- meets-metal keyboards easily being the most enjoyable element. His signing is always understated, but it fits the album's mood perfectly. Maethos guitars are, there.. and that's all I can really say about them. He uses few embellishments to keep it interesting, chugging away metal redundancies. The result is not so much a performance, but rather a soundtrack which helps sell the final product. Very bland, very sterile. Gavin Harrison's drumming is impeccable, but ultimately unmemorable given "Blood's" tone.

The songs themselves are a mixed bag, less enjoyable as a whole than on the first or second OSI disk. Ironically, things shine their brightest when at their most minimal, the electonic/ambient sections being much more interesting than the straight-ahead metal riffing which punctuates everything in between. I didn't feel any "wow" moments.

The final listen will easily please fans of OSI's two previous (better) releases, and will easily appeal to fans of the "new" Porcupine Tree sound; but, after finishing "Blood" I was left wanting to listen to "OSI", and really wanting another Chroma Key album, either of which show more creativity and style than anything here.

Songwriting: 3 Instrumental Performances: 3 Lyrics/Vocals: 2 Style/Emotion/Replay: 2

Blood is the third instalment of the cooperation between Jim Matheos of Fates Warning and Kevin Moore from Dream Theatre and Chroma Key. With Gavin Harrison on drums and remarkable vocal contributions from Mike Akerfeldt and Tim Bowness, it is a super group of sorts.

The album has a good balance between Matheos' crunchy guitar riffs and Moore's qualities as song smith, keyboard genius and low key vocalist. Matheos provides simple but irresistible riffs on The Escape Artist, Moore's vocals are gorgeous. Many people may find his melodies too simple and his range too limited, but I think that such a judgement has more to do with approaching him with the wrong preconceptions, rather then with his assumed flaws. Moore is not the big operatic voice that is expected in this style of music. He is a David Gilmour that ended up in a progressive metal band. Actually, it's one of the reason why OSI is so compelling to me and why I find them an original force in a field of music swamped with clichés.

Of course Moore has his limitations as a vocalist, but he is well aware of them. It's one of his charms really. He makes the most out of what he has and complements it with guest vocalist that provide a fresh breath of air without disrupting or even changing the OSI sound a lot. Akerfeldt shines on Stockholm, one of the highlights of the album. He proves himself an extraordinary vocalist again and comes up with a vocal melody that doesn't sound like anything he had done before. The song has a notable touch of Zeppelin's No Quarter.

Another remarkable contribution comes from Tim Bowness. No-man's front man is the last voice you would expect on a progressive metal song but he's fabulous on the most metallic and finest song on the album (at least if you have the special edition). Bowness doesn't stray from his usual vocal approach at all, but it's a match made in heaven. First-class and very unusual, surprising. One of the most original moments in metal in many years.

Another remarkable aspect of OSI is of course Moore's unique approach to keyboards. Together with Richard Barbieri he's the most inspiring and tasteful keyboard/sample player of the last 30 years. In fact, I'd only place Richard Wright just one level higher in the list of most meaningful keyboard players in rock music.

The album has not one weak spot and, while it isn't as excellent as the debut, fans of that album will doubtlessly find this a return to form. 4 firm stars.

From Dream Theater to this?

To be honest I have a bit of a bone to pick wth Mr. Moore. In Dream Theater, his lustrous talent and sound was the perfect sound for Dream Theater, his lyrics were some of the best I have ever heard and also...he was a funny guy. But to this...

Being this is the opposite of Dream Theater (well in a way they are quite similar, but for this review I have decided to live in a world where there are no positives and negatives), it was hard for me to listen to this, and not compare it to Dream Theater, saying that Kevin is an ex member.

This is a great album, the songs are cathcy, the riffs kick ass, and you have Jim Mathoes on guitar (Fates Warning rule). This album does have quite an industrial feel to it, which I'm not the biggest fan off..but meh.

Mike Portnoy, who was kind enough to play on their first albums, has ran back to Dream Theater and wasn't able to appear, but what do you do when one of the best drummers in the world leaves....get one of the other best drummers in the world. Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson...he played with King Crimson, you have to be good to play in King Crimson) has filled in the slot (hehehehehe, I'm so childish)

If you haven't heard OSI before, they're basically No Man, but more upbeat and not suicidal. (Tim Bowness did provide vocals on one of the bonus tracks...but it's way too depressing.

1. The Escape Artist - Reminds me of Rammstein mixed with Leonard Cohen style vocals (Kevin Moore does have quite a boring voice). Kick ass way to start off an album. Cathcy and great electronics work.

2. Terminal - Very nice atmospheric trance intro that reminds me of No Quarter. A more laid back song with a Porcupine Tree vibe to it, and it's very catchy There is a longer version on the bonus disc, which surprisingly is better than the album version.

3. False Start - Very kick ass song. Cool break down section. Quite eccentric as well. If this song had a better vocalist, it would be a force to be reckoned with.

4. We Come Undone - Nice Massive Attack vibe to it. Quite interesting.

5. Radiologue - One of the best songs on the album. Electronics are used perfectly, very catchy and the acoustic guitar parts go well with the synth beats. Kevin's vocals are quite good too.

6. Be The Hero - Cool eerie intro. A bit tedious to be honest.

7. Microbust Alert - Eccentric.

8. Stockholm - Mikael Akerfeldt's lustrous tones do make this music seem better. This song is very reminiscent to something off of Beck's Sea Change.

9. Blood - There is a bit of an Enter Shikari vibe to this song. It's laidback and calm. Good way to end the album.

CONCLUSION: If this is your cup of tea, buy it. I'm not the biggest fan of Kevin's current direction, but it was very enjoyable.

It's funny to read some of the reviews made for the different OSI albums. Some criticise Kevin Moore's vocals, others the lack of metal on a specific album, others lack of prog elements. Personally I love all 3 of their albums because they vary just that little bit each album while still retaining the OSI sound.

There's no denying Kevin Moore's vocals are no Daniel Gildenlow or quite frankly near the standard of an Idol top 25 contestant. To be honest I never thought they would be able to replicate this sound beyond 1 album but here they are at album 3 and it's better than ever. What people overlook is that Kevin's voice while a single monotone is completely unique, and most importantly fits the music. It's a shame Jem Godfrey didn't realise the same in regards to his own vocals when recording the *Frost's second album!

The debut album was much more prog oriented and Free more guitar/mainstream. To me Blood strikes the perfect balance between the last 2 albums like a great finale to a trilogy. As such I have found it more enjoyable for repeat listens. New comer Gavin Harrison's drum work is more subdued than Portney's fitting beautifully with the overall albums style and sound.

So what about the songs? Like the predecessors they are strong from beginning to end. Escape Artist is a great album opener leading you in discretely before bashing you over the head with Matheos' always fantastic guitar work. Terminal show's Moore's superb and unique keyboard skills and I'm always impressed at how Matheos is happy to take a background role or sit out to honour the sound when needed. However Radiolounge is the standout song for me bringing it all together. All of the songs are unique and blend together to form a really solid and enjoyable album.

OSI should appeal to prog fans, rock fans and metal fans alike. There's plenty there for everyone to enjoy. An absolutely solid catalogue to date but Blood is the jewel in the crown for me at this time. Can't wait to see what comes next!

False start

OSI began as a collaboration between Jim Matheos of Fates Waring, Kevin Moore of Chroma Key (and formally Dream Theater), and Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater. After two albums, Mike Portnoy was fed up of feeling like a studio drummer rather and a collaborator, so he dropped out of the problem after the band's sophomore album Free. As a replacement, the band brought in Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison to record their next album, Blood. Having a much more ambient and electronic feel than their debut (sadly I have yet to hear Free) the album is much more contemplative and mellow feeling to it with much less metal on the album. The balance of ambience and metal found on the album is a little off balance, however, with only a few hard hitting (and fantastic) metallic tracks only dotting the many more slow ambient tracks, some of which can be a bit slow moving and uneventful.

Blasting off with the killer The Escape Artist, I was at first hopeful for a fantastic album full of thumping metal tracks accented by Harrison's jazzier approach to metal and Matheos' inventive riffing. However, the album debuted on what I would soon call a False Start (ha, a pun), seeing as the album quickly halted after the end of that track. Although the ambient and psychedelic work of Kevin Moore began to grow on me with further listens, I was at first bored by his keyboard layers and atmospheric work. However, these short, hard hitting metal moments start to emerge as nice dynamics to the music, spicing up the ambient continuity with spices of metallic bliss; although the harder tracks are shorter and less contemplative than the ambient material, they pack a potent punch of dense Moore-esque metal, with incredible lyrics, very mellow melodies accenting crushing metallic riffs, and an overall fantastic display of composition work. However, as the atmospheres decline from psychedelic bliss to boring repetition, the greandeur of this album starts to diminish. Although I am supremely impressed by Moore's lyrical skill, his vocal style, and his prowess with the ambient keyboard loop, I am doomed to consider this album a rather non-essential release; the band has a great lineup and some truly spectacular moments, but overall the album does not do all that much for me, except make for a relaxing musical journey whenever I feel like being serenaded by this electronic amalgamation. Until Microburst Alert, which is little more than a jazzed up (instrumental) hip hop song.

In the end, this album is a very good release. However, its genius is limited. With only two truly metal songs and seven good but not as good ambient atmospheric tracks, the album begins to drag out by the time the title track rolls around. I do find it difficult, however, to sound like I'm trashing this album when it truly is a very good album. I just thing a little more metal injection would do it some good, especially with the massive success I found with The Escape Artist and False Start. Moore's atmospheres and lyrics make for a nice sublime journey, but they can't really compete with some of the heavier material on the album. Overall, Blood is a good album, but not an absolute necessity. 3+ stars.

OSI is a partnership of guitarist Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) and keyboardist/vocalist Kevin Moore (Chroma Key, ex-Dream Theater). OSI's self-titled album (2003), was an instant prog classic. It featured Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) on drums, and Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) as a guest vocalist on one of the songs.

Their second album, Free, made my top 10 for 2008.

With Blood, they made the top 10 again.

This time around, Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree) takes care of the drums. Portnoy and Harrison are arguably the #1 and #2 best prog drummers in rock today.

Moore's keyboards create ambient soundscapes while Matheos' guitars provide the driving metal textures. OSI's unique progressive blending of electronics with hard rock makes them distinctive, and one of my favorite bands. Kevin Moore's almost-monotone vocal delivery is an acquired taste, but I really like it, and it fits perfectly in with this style of music.

Stand out tracks include "The Escape Artist," "Radiologue," "Be the Hero," and the title track.

A PERFECT BLEND OF ELECTRONIC AMBIENCE AND PROG METAL!!!

   If I could start off by saying that OSI ( Office of Strategic Influence) are a very unique band in the world of prog and that of the world of music! I don't know any other bands that sound like OSI and I feel that they can be counted as o e of the 7 wonders of prog because of their unique approach to progressive sounding music. At the moment and on this album review (BLOOD) OSI is an unbelievable super trio that consists of KEVIN MOORE (Vocals, keys and programming) JIM MATHEOS ( Guitars and Electronic sample mixing) and of course the great GAVIN HARRISON from Porcupine Tree on the DRUMS! 

 Furthermore, OSI's BLOOD album is nothing short of a masterpiece. How could it not be? You have the lead guitarist of Fates Warning, ex Keyboardist of Dream Theater and the drummer from arguably one of the best groups in progressive rock, which is Porcupine Tree. Anyway, to get to the heart of the matter the BLOOD album is a masterpiece. It is a creative and insightful blend of electronic music combined with the wicked power of prog metal. This is an album that should not be overlooked. The album itself starts off with a creative bang with the track THE ESCAPE ARTIST which is one of the more heavy metal based tracks on the album and it is a real treat to listen to. No to mention, even though the mixing and electronic sampling sound simple to produce its not. Do not be fooled just because OSI mainly produce a fairly accessible and almost commercial sound, there music is still quite complex and layered at the same time. Anyway, moving forward the track TERMINAL is a more electronic based sound with all of what KEVIN MOORE now represents after his Dream Theater tenure. TERMINAL is a beautiful track and it will leave you relaxed and sedated once you have this song grace your ears. Other notable tracks are RADIOLOGUE and the infamous BLOOD. 

As your fellow prog brother I urge you all to explore this wonderful, unique album that will sure please the ears if fellow proggers can appreciate ambient Electronic combined with the shredding metal guitar of Jim Matheos. Give it a listen. The album is getting a 4/5 because their latest release FIRE MAKE THUNDER is actually a slight step up from this beauty and that album would warrant a 5 with me. Essential prog? I think yes. It would make a terrific addition to any prog collection. Enjoy the simplicity that Moore and Matheos create here. You won't be sorry. 

👊👌👍

The project O.S.I. born in 2003 , when Jim Matheos , Kevin Moore and Mike Portnoy , three veterans of the progressive metal scene, decided to put together their own experiences, to create something completely new and unusual . After three years since the publication of "Free" second full length , finally sees the light of the third album entitled " Blood" and published by Inside Out Music . A little bit of Fates Warning (the best - those of " Disconnected" ) , a little Chroma Key (the project by Kevin Moore) , a splash of Porcupine Tree and Massive Attack: here is " Blood" It looks more solid and heavy oriented than in the past , the stylistic coordinates of this cd are always a progressive largely experimental, rock riffs , electronic inserts , dark atmospheres and ambient, and sporadic references to industrial

Next to the two mastermind Jim Matheos and Kevin Moore , we find for the first time the excellent Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree) on drums, to replace Mike Portnoy. Also of note the participation of Mikael Åkerfeldt ( Opeth ) as guest singer.

There are nine tracks that make up this disc , for a total duration of about 45 minutes. Tracks very complex and difficult to assimilate those contained in this " Blood" played mainly on dark atmospheres , hypnotic and overwhelming. In this sense a great job it performs the voice of Kevin Moore , very warm and special , perfect for these intense musical textures and decadent

Among the most successful pieces we can certainly count the initial " The Escape Artist " , magnificent song introduced by a short guitar arpeggio that results in a series of granitic riffs, ready to attack the listener . Very interesting is the next "Terminal ", a song more atmospheric, and thoughtful that shows us the soul more closely electronic of the band, while " False Start" returns on shores more purely metallic with heavy riffing and tight for a wild Matheos. Excellent moreover also "Be the Hero" aftertaste Porcupine Tree, and the ethereal and dreamy. "Stockholm" magnificently played by Mikael Åkerfeldt .

Ultimately, we are facing perhaps the best album ever produced by the award-winning company Matheos -Moore !! Beyond the technical skills put on display , what is striking about this " Blood" is an organic and inspired songwriting , though still sounds halfway between metal and avant-garde experimentation. the band has evolved their sound and make it more intriguing and compact. An excellent job in every point of view (although the production is excellent throughout )

Or "Is it worth thinking about what is not"? ?

It would be possible to call this album that, if I were one of the authors of this certainly outstanding opus. The third one in the band's discography - and the most atmospheric, with all the best and brightest facets of "Neo-Progressive". The main contribution to the music and lyrics belongs to Kevin Moore (ex-Dream Theater) and Jim Matheos (ex-Fates Warning). Furthermore, such giants as Gavin Harrison (ex Porcupine Tree) and Mikael Åkerfeldt (ex-Opeth) "made an appearance" on the disc, the latter sings in a composition with a non-trivial name "Stockholm" - surprisingly combining the traditions of modern progressive and doom metal. In the middle of the song, there is an ambient insert, atmospherically telling about someone's sudden catastrophe. One of the highlights of the album. Also featured on this album is Tim Bowness (ex-No-Man) on "No Celebrations"! Uncharacteristically for Bowness, a heavy track, which he successfully copes with, bringing the colors of the past. And the main highlight of the album, in my opinion, is "Radiologue" - with a pronounced "raging" riff component, beautifully intertwined with the acoustic component. The song seems to go through a gloomy deserted urban landscape: from the lost to the lost. Ripples, riffs, electronic instruments, guitars! But the main thing is the voice that Jim Mateos uses as a bright tool to convey the atmosphere, because it is what this amazing record gives in full! I will focus on the review of these tracks - as they most clearly demonstrate the talents of these musicians. The rest of the things you just need to hear in order to understand the full power and beauty of this conceptual canvas. "Blood"? No, never! But this is a very atmospheric, urban, majestic canvas! For connoisseurs of the genre - on a par with the outstanding!