[ALBUM REVIEW] Ohgod - Forrest Feuds EP

ARTIST: Ohgod

ALBUM NAME: Forrest Feuds EP

RELEASE DATE: March 2015

COUNTRY: South Africa

CITY: Cape Town

GENRE: Ghost Rock/ Instrumental

MEMBERS:

Stefan Steyn (Guitar)
David Houston (Guitar)
Danny Harris (Drums)
Mark Woolfrey (bass)

The album art gives us a subtle hint of what is about to happen. Then you throw that subtle hint away as the EP kicks off with ‘Old Tides’ and drags us into the deep-end without hesitation. The full band is in there from the get-go and feels like we’ve jumped on a runaway train. Throughout the album there are many extremes: happiness, longing, fullness, solitude, loneliness, excitement; and we’re going to all those places. When things get heavy, eerie guitar notes call, urging one to follow. In turn, the basslines echo your misgivings, yet one is still urged to follow into the forest-filled crevices of the mind. These tracks are every bit as haunting as the term ‘Ghost rock’ suggests. The songs have a way of staying with you like the creature from ‘It follows’ but with a happier ending and a way more pleasurable stalking experience. But just when you feel so far away that you may never come back, the groove pulls you in again into the heaving, breathing, organism that has taken on a life of its own.

The music itself is well-crafted, every note placed with purpose. The absence of vocals is hardly missed, as the music is free to wander where it pleases. Despite the goose bumps, there is an irresistible, powerful groove drawing you in and you just can’t help doing the ‘prog-bop’. The basslines are especially tasty in ‘The Voice’. While the bass and drums echo each other’s thoughts, guitars weave in and out of each other, spinning their own tales. Each member knows their craft and together they are able to do magical things. The true spell is cast within the quiet and build-ups where bitter metal and sweet notes linger unanswered.

Now we get down to the nitty gritty. There is not much to fault them on save for two very small things (and now I’m really reaching here to at least pretend that I have something to criticise – because nobody is perfect). Personally I feel the production is not as squeaky clean as one would like, but still darn good. I feel it could have shown off what they can do even better, or not. Perhaps it lends itself to the sound and I’m really just nit-picking now so I don’t sound foolish. The other thing is that it was pure torture only having 4 songs to listen to.

There you have it. Go and listen to their album so that if you disagree we can duel it out with our keyboards. Or you can go ahead and give these djentle-folk your money, because they’re that awesome. Up to you.