Ohhms have become well known for producing album formats that consist of two gargantuan songs, sitting at almost 20 minutes apiece, as seen on previous records ‘Bloom’ and ‘Cold’. However, third release ‘The Fool’ sees them take a different direction in two aspects – this is set out in a much more “standard” fashion, with six tracks of all pretty average length. Also, the lyrical themes don’t have such a forceful agenda; this tarot themed record takes on an air of the occult, which is far cry from the pro-vegetarian stance of older songs such as ‘Rise of the Herbivore’.
Beginning with acoustic intro ‘Cut, Shuffle and Reveal’, every song has a different dynamic – from the powerful proggy sludge forcefulness of ‘The Magician’ to the lofty post metal vibes of ‘The Hanged Man’, this opus really is like a tarot deck in the sense that you’re never really sure of what you’re going to get. Most surprising of all, is the softer side of the album that is ‘The Lovers’ – it features some clean vocals from frontman Paul Waller and proves just what an impressive set of pipes he has on him. As well as being able to bellow alongside some seriously heavy grooves, he can also genuinely sing and this almost ballad-style song is a side to Ohhms that’s never been seen before. What really brings this particular song together is the inclusion of some beautiful female vocals (who is that?!) – It will be interesting to see if they attempt this song live.
‘The Fool’ is a genuinely surprising record – just when you think you have a band figured out, they present you with something that’s completely unexpected and adds yet another dimension to an already multi-faceted outfit. A genuinely bold, yet impressive, move for Ohhms and a hint that they’re not quite done keeping us on our toes just yet.
(8/10 Angela Davey)
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