Oculos – Gaslighting

Death metal from Turkey? We couldn’t help but give Oculos a listen. From the opening track A.M.F, this felt perfect for a start to our week. A burst of energetic guitar-born squeals bringing back nostalgic memories of Nocturnus. A highly technical and practiced delivery of searing discontent. A frenzy of drums. All this perfectly timed chaos brought together with the kind of deep, harsh and high-paced vocals that… well… you’d expect, and honestly just hope for.

There is no doubt that Oculos know exactly what they are, and they appear to have mastered the art of not only death metal, but also fusing one’s expectations of the genre, with something new.

In the final track, “Cotard’s Syndrome”, we are lured in by muffled whispers and a reverberant bell’s tolls. All this is soon interrupted by guitar and vocals of course, but then, what’s this? A moment of… just bass. It was the gaps in this track which really made it stand out. Pockets of glitches and static at around the two minute mark in particular, as a panicked rest before a final onslaught, the bells to eventually call out the album’s close.

The production of this release is solid, clear and distinct. No small feat for anyone who has tried mixing music of this flavor and pace. If all this sound’s like your cup of tea, we urge you to take a sip!