Oede

It may be safe to say that since the Holy Terror Record label has been revived they have managed to get on quite a roll. The records they have released have all managed to be a bit different while still carrying a certain aesthetic darkness. With label mates such as Sutekh Hexen and Cape of Bats gaining more and more attention Oede manages to be the new kid on the block so to speak. The fact is even though all three of these projects are their own thing Oede may be more it's own thing than most anything out there right now.

The one man project blends grim lo-fi black metal and the very distinct sound of voodoo blues. While both of these styles manage to share certain ideas they rarely share space on the same piece of vinyl. This project manages to show how close they are even on a musical level.
The darkness rarely subsides as the EP works within it's own dark pallor. The truly beautiful thing about this is there doesn't seem to be any sort of real misstep. The songs feel natural the whole way through. The use of homemade cigar box guitars helps to make the sound more singular and eerie.

The record is a great introduction to a singular mind playing something very singular in music. It would almost be impossible to think of a musical project that truly encapsulates these two styles, let alone this well. The record is something that is well worth buying. One can only imagine what Oede could do within the context of a full length record but you can bet it that if it follows suit with this EP it will be it's own creature entirely.

8.0 / 10 — Jon E.