OU - II: Frailty (2024) Hi-Res

"II: Frailty" by Chinese progressive metal band OU is a compelling testament to perseverance. Its layers of progressive metal occasionally let bits of light slip in, fleeting reminders to keep going amid the tumult. The album opens with the title track, which roars with classic progressive metal darkness and urgency. But even within that forward march there are swirling, hallucinatory flourishes and fascinating harmonic layers.

On "New Heaven", Inter Arma use the more limited real estate at their disposal to embark upon some of their most exploratory sonic forays, from the intricate and dissonant arpeggios of the opening title track to the swirling, extraterrestrial psych-metal of “Violet Seizures,” one of the most thrilling songs they’ve ever recorded.

Throughout the album, the thought I keep returning to is, “how the hell do they pull off this sound on track after track without losing any steam?”. Obviously not in a literal play-through sense, as I’m sure the album wasn’t recorded in one go, but in the sense that it never loses energy and none of the songs sound stale.

Overall, "New Heaven" is a high-quality album that sticks to their roots and delivers an uncompromising and relentless sound. It's a must-listen for any fan of progressive metal.