“Olten is a little town in Switzerland. And we put the “/” because we are Vikings”, said the Swiss trio when asked for meaning of their name by Metal Glory back in October 2013. Ø L T E N released their self-titled EP back in June 2013 and have since been making waves in their home country of Switzerland and surrounding countries such as Germany and France. However, the instrumental three-piece have yet to make any kind of impact in further reaches, which is surprising given the obvious appeal of their ballsy post rock sound. This could be set to change with the release of their first full length ‘Mode’ as they have already attracted the attention of metal connoisseurs Cvlt Nation, who are currently hosting an exclusive stream of first track on the album ‘Bözberg’ (a municipality in Switzerland – these dudes are clearly very patriotic towards their home country).
Before delving into the details, Ø L T E N are a band you are most certainly going to want to check out if you’re a fan of Omega Massif, Russian Circles and/or Isis. The three band members possess a musical dexterity that stretches far beyond the labels metal fans may try to place upon them, creating soundscapes which relay feelings of hopelessness and create an atmosphere that is bleak, cold and harsh. A touch of warmth is added via the deep hum of the bass guitar and every note sounds as if it’s being played from an amp that’s older than the concept of music itself. Ultimately, however, the riffs and synths work together to conjure up sounds that are beautiful yet horribly oppressive.
Tomas Liljedahl (The Old Winds, ex-Breach) lends guest vocals to fourth track ‘Gloom’, further enforcing the post metal ideals and adding a touch of Neurosis calibre intensity to the music. Liljedahl’s vocals are deeply rooted in hardcore, which work well with the thumping bass and percussion, adding hints of Fall of Efrafa, Cult of Luna and even a little bit of fellow Swiss band Kruger. As much as the instrumental idea works well for Ø L T E N, it would be great to see them pair up with Tomas or a similar vocalist for a whole record, as a choral element certainly adds another dimension to the music.
What makes this record all the more intriguing is the choice of cover art – which features a lady in traditional North African dress, standing next to a ram, in lush green scenery. This colourful scene is oddly juxtaposed with the music featured on the record itself; however, given the faraway look in the woman’s eyes and the fact that she is alone in this vast expanse, with only a ram for company, the five songs on this album could go a long way to narrating the loneliness portrayed in this photograph.
A hard hitting, miserable and sincere first effort; let’s hope there’s more to follow.
(8/10 Angela Davey)
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