Oversense – Egomania
Dr. Music Records
Release Date: 17/09/2021
Running Time: 54:39
Review by Simon Black
9/10
Oversense have been working their particular brand of Melodic Modern Metal for the best part of a decade and after what appears to be a somewhat successful crowdfunding campaign have pulled together their sophomore album “Egomania”. I’m not previously familiar with this Bavarian band, but the first point that strikes the ears is that this is an incredibly well-produced and sophisticated sound for a home-produced record. The studio recording was all done by band front man, guitarist, keyboard player, band leader and general all-rounder Danny Meyer at his own studio and subsequently mastered by Avantasia’s Miro Rodenberg. The sound is quite beefy and richly layered with a deep sensitivity for melody and timing, helped enormously by the inclusion of one woman YouTube phenomena Jassy J., who adds some complex layering and subtlety to the musical dimension. Meyer’s voice is capable of a broad range both in pitch and style and he works his best when he runs the gamut between the more sustained clean sounds and the more in your face tracks like ‘Tear Me Down’. But to be honest this guy is clearly an incredibly talented chap and the range this record displays in that regard is phenomenal.
Unusually this album is not slated for release until September (I am reviewing this in June), which is a long lead time by anyone’s standard and at this point only the ‘Be’ single is available to hear. Judging by the number of hits it has already garnered on YouTube this slow burn approach may yet pay off. Single ‘Be’ absolutely stands out as one of the strongest contenders on here, with its catchy keyboard riff, up-tempo pile-driving delivery, sophisticated time changes and is vocally led by a duet from Meyer and Sick N’ Beautiful vocalist Herma Sick. The only problem I have with this song, is that’s it’s the only one to use this particular collaboration. The mix of male and female voices works really well and leaves the listener wanting much more. Fortunately we do get a little more, as ‘Faith’ also has a guest turn from Ulli Perhonen, which adds a positively Symphonic touch to this particular track, which the musical framework stands up to meet the challenge of. Having those dual voices more frequently might be something to think about when touring becomes an option, as it adds a real depth and maturity to the sound…
The musical tone and variety within the overall Melodic Metal framework is really rather broad to boot, taking in both the up-tempo to the downright Gothic in the down-tuned ‘Love’, which melds the mood, anger and melody together in an incredibly catchy way. If ‘Be’ is the leader, this is definitely the tailgating follower.
There’s no shortage of anthemic fist-punchers too, with ‘Rave In Hell’ being a great example of this, showing that despite Meyer’s technical capabilities, sometime what you need is simplicity and a track that gets people jumping. The positively Thrashy introduction to ‘Antisocial’ follows, before settling into high tempo Power Metal territory, which tells me that this band could manage pretty much any style of Metal if they chose to, although the distinctive high energy rests that frequent the music like an arrhythmic heart beat are such a distinctive signature of their songs. The record slows down for its finale, with the ballad ‘Memories’, but it’s the lengthy closer ‘Extinction’ that holds the attention. It’s got power and depth in its low tempo piano introduction, but then comes belting in with high tempo and energy, creating an epic and complex journey that showcases many of the high points the album has shared to date. The talent in here is formidable, from a bunch of musicians capable of depth, variety and a blisteringly time-tight delivery. One to watch for sure…
TRACKLISTING:
01. Toast To The Devil
02. The Longing
03. Be (feat. Herma Sick)
04. My Eden
05. Tear Me Down
06. Love
07. Faith (featuring Ulli Perhonen)
08. Rave In Hell
09. Antisocial
10. Memories
11. Extinction
LINE-UP:
Danny Meyer – Vocals, Guitar & Keyboards
Jasmin ‘Jassy J.’ Pabst – Guitar
Marco Volpert – Bass / Vocals
Patrick Lippert – Drums / Vocals
LINKS:
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