Band: OLAM
Genres: Punk / Metallic Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Screamo / Black Metal / Ambient
Related artists: ?.
Country: Indianapolis, Indiana U.S.A.
Years Active: 2018-present
Song: "Wounds"
Album: "I Will Guide Thy Hand"
Year: 2019
For fans of: Converge, Blue Noise, Minaret, The Bled, Lavotchkin, Botch, Loma Prieta, Lamantide, Officer Jones And His Patrol Car Problems, Beneath The Ashes, Buried Inside, Nic (aka ██████), Amber and Mares Of Thrace.
Related artists: ?.
Country: Indianapolis, Indiana U.S.A.
Years Active: 2018-present
Song: "Wounds"
Album: "I Will Guide Thy Hand"
Year: 2019
For fans of: Converge, Blue Noise, Minaret, The Bled, Lavotchkin, Botch, Loma Prieta, Lamantide, Officer Jones And His Patrol Car Problems, Beneath The Ashes, Buried Inside, Nic (aka ██████), Amber and Mares Of Thrace.
Label(s): Self Released / Zegema Beach Records
I frequent the blog Captured Howls because the writing puts mine to shame, but also because Caleb premieres and reviews some incredible intense music. It was there I stumbled across the premiere of Indiana's OLAM and their debut LP 'I Will Guide Thy Hand'. I dug it pretty hard right away. The bat-like shrieks combined with massive breakdowns and a lot of technical hardcore/metal with a few hints of screamo and black metal is like my perfect match. I started to talk to the band about doing some tapes but then went on my European tour with Crowning and Swallows Nest so the release took a backseat until July when I returned and made 30 pretty sick lookin' tapes for OLAM. More than half are already gone so if you like what you read/hear be sure to pick one up!
'I Will Guide Thy Hand' is laid out perfectly, with obvious effort going into the writing and track ordering process, as the album climbs a mountain before letting loose an absolute beast of a finale. It opens with "Vestal" a chill, ambient, instrumental, one-minute introduction before "Wounds" makes an appearance and dices the listener into pieces. Seriously though, this is one hell of a track. Jake's cathartic shrieks litter the opening before the drums go supernova at the 30-second mark, and then there's that swing at 47 and again at 58 seconds that gets my blood pumping. The midsection is a lone guitar that leads the song into its epic, almost post-hardcore conclusion spliced with throat-shredding screams. "Beth, The Birds, The Grip" jumps around a lot more than its predecessor, as single note riffing with extremely tight-nit drums and bass are found in abundance, making it sound like Converge meets The Bled. "Under My Breath" begins so Mares Of Thrace that I usually have to check the band to make sure I'm not losing it, but sure enough OLAM takes the chaotic, sonic bliss to mature, post-hardcore/post-metal levels at 1:25 with soaring clean vocals overlapping the shrieks. The final two minutes is pretty fucking epic and vaguely reminiscent of condensed/better version of Deafheaven. "Bloodletting" is next; a short, bassy and overall sinister sounding song that was likely conceived in the subterranean lava tubes deep in the Earth. Or not. I dunno, ask OLAM. The venomous "Ventriloquism" is next, injecting a whole lotta heavy laced with some seriously infectious hooks and an ending for the ages. The whirlwind of speed that is "Razorblades As Neckties" definitely has nods to Converge and Joliette, with enough variation to really keep it sounding like OLAM instead of anyone else, including a gorgeous acoustic section smack dab in the middle of mayhem. Honestly it's super impressive to hear a polished and original band identity on a debut record, so kudos, my friends. "For Hope Lost" is a slightly slower jam albeit still evil as hell followed by the short piano-driven interlude "Trenchant" which serves as the red carpet introduction to the fucking ultimate closer and title track "I Will Guide Thy Hand". This shit is fucking ace. It's dank. It slaps. It's so sick that I generally induce vomiting whilst listening to it...for the entire 7:28 duration! I'm not even gonna try going through minute-by-minute, so just do yourself a favor and sit back, relax, and get shredded.
So there you have it, undoubtedly a contender for album of the year. I mean, c'mon I never put more than three songs embedded below per release, but even with four I feel like I'm doing OLAM an injustice. I'm sorry, my friends...you are too good.
I frequent the blog Captured Howls because the writing puts mine to shame, but also because Caleb premieres and reviews some incredible intense music. It was there I stumbled across the premiere of Indiana's OLAM and their debut LP 'I Will Guide Thy Hand'. I dug it pretty hard right away. The bat-like shrieks combined with massive breakdowns and a lot of technical hardcore/metal with a few hints of screamo and black metal is like my perfect match. I started to talk to the band about doing some tapes but then went on my European tour with Crowning and Swallows Nest so the release took a backseat until July when I returned and made 30 pretty sick lookin' tapes for OLAM. More than half are already gone so if you like what you read/hear be sure to pick one up!
'I Will Guide Thy Hand' is laid out perfectly, with obvious effort going into the writing and track ordering process, as the album climbs a mountain before letting loose an absolute beast of a finale. It opens with "Vestal" a chill, ambient, instrumental, one-minute introduction before "Wounds" makes an appearance and dices the listener into pieces. Seriously though, this is one hell of a track. Jake's cathartic shrieks litter the opening before the drums go supernova at the 30-second mark, and then there's that swing at 47 and again at 58 seconds that gets my blood pumping. The midsection is a lone guitar that leads the song into its epic, almost post-hardcore conclusion spliced with throat-shredding screams. "Beth, The Birds, The Grip" jumps around a lot more than its predecessor, as single note riffing with extremely tight-nit drums and bass are found in abundance, making it sound like Converge meets The Bled. "Under My Breath" begins so Mares Of Thrace that I usually have to check the band to make sure I'm not losing it, but sure enough OLAM takes the chaotic, sonic bliss to mature, post-hardcore/post-metal levels at 1:25 with soaring clean vocals overlapping the shrieks. The final two minutes is pretty fucking epic and vaguely reminiscent of condensed/better version of Deafheaven. "Bloodletting" is next; a short, bassy and overall sinister sounding song that was likely conceived in the subterranean lava tubes deep in the Earth. Or not. I dunno, ask OLAM. The venomous "Ventriloquism" is next, injecting a whole lotta heavy laced with some seriously infectious hooks and an ending for the ages. The whirlwind of speed that is "Razorblades As Neckties" definitely has nods to Converge and Joliette, with enough variation to really keep it sounding like OLAM instead of anyone else, including a gorgeous acoustic section smack dab in the middle of mayhem. Honestly it's super impressive to hear a polished and original band identity on a debut record, so kudos, my friends. "For Hope Lost" is a slightly slower jam albeit still evil as hell followed by the short piano-driven interlude "Trenchant" which serves as the red carpet introduction to the fucking ultimate closer and title track "I Will Guide Thy Hand". This shit is fucking ace. It's dank. It slaps. It's so sick that I generally induce vomiting whilst listening to it...for the entire 7:28 duration! I'm not even gonna try going through minute-by-minute, so just do yourself a favor and sit back, relax, and get shredded.
So there you have it, undoubtedly a contender for album of the year. I mean, c'mon I never put more than three songs embedded below per release, but even with four I feel like I'm doing OLAM an injustice. I'm sorry, my friends...you are too good.
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DISCOGRAPHY
2019 - I Will Guide Thy Hand cd/cassetteLP (stream/donate/download here) [buy tape from ZBR: U.S.A. store here or Canada/Int'l here]
(2019) OLAM - "I Will Guide Thy Hand" (from 'I Will Guide Thy Hand')
(2019) OLAM - "Under My Breath" (from 'I Will Guide Thy Hand')
(2019) OLAM - "Wounds" (from 'I Will Guide Thy Hand')
(2019) OLAM - "Ventriloquism" (from 'I Will Guide Thy Hand')
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(2019) OLAM - "I Will Guide Thy Hand" (from 'I Will Guide Thy Hand')
(2019) OLAM - "Under My Breath" (from 'I Will Guide Thy Hand')
(2019) OLAM - "Wounds" (from 'I Will Guide Thy Hand')
(2019) OLAM - "Ventriloquism" (from 'I Will Guide Thy Hand')
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OLAM additional links
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