Ov Sulfur – Endless
Ov Sulfur – Endless
Century Media Records
Release Date: 16/01/2025
Review by Oli Gonzalez
9/10
As testing a time as it was during lockdown, it spawned some phenomenal music and the birth of several new projects. One of those being Ov Sulfur, largely a cathartic release for vocalist and founder Ricky Hoover, frustrated with the world and the perceived corruption and contradictory nature of religion. Not a new concept in all honesty. It’s difficult for bands to make themselves stand out and sound original without trying too hard. Though there’s something different about Ov Sulfur. Having already toured with the likes of Lorna Shore, Whitechapel, and Signs Of The Swarm and more, this demonstrates the level of respect the band have already earned by their peers in such a short space of time. The band aim to demonstrate why they’ve earned this solid reputation with their upcoming effort “Endless”.
The album kicks off with an apocalyptic bag with ‘Endless/Godless’. Seriously, this is biblical levels of heavy! And it’s only the intro. This is a testosterone sandwich no lover of metal can resist!
This onslaught continues in ‘Seed’. Though it’s not just drop after drop and mindless assault on the ear drums. The guitars are refined, sharp, and technical. Whilst the synths later in the tracks add extra melodic focus and drama to the whole composition. It’s not all demonic gutturals for Hoover though. No, he’s very capable of the cleaner vocals, something Ricky described as shocking himself in the studio by pulling them off!
‘Forlorn’ is another example of the mercilessly bruising assault on the senses whilst providing necessary melodic respite to prevent a total synaptic shutdown. ‘Vast Eternal’ enters a more symphonic death metal arena (think Septic Flesh, Fleshgod Apocalypse), with the background orchestral synths ensuring your nerves are always on a knife’s edge. Hoover’s vocals are faster, more frantic. A real sense of urgency.
‘Wither’ attempts to soften you up with a much more calm and mellow cleaner guitar passage. This is much more stripped back and melodic. You can’t help but feel on guard though considering what the songs preceding have offered us. This song admittedly feels a little out of place, with a much more simple structure, and almost entirely clean vocals. A palette cleanser; all the great albums need one though. “Endless” has ‘Wither’ as that moment of respite and an almost radio friendly number that demands to be listened to again and again.
‘Evermore’ is described as the album’s lead single and centrepiece, tackling the idea of the afterlife offering the promise of eternal paradise being not so special after all.
“What’s the point of having everything?
Without an end it all means nothing”
The venom delivered in this particularly eerie vocal line matches only the nihilistic nature of this spinechilling passage.
‘Dread’, featuring Josh Davies of Ingested fame is an absolute bruiser, a two pronged assault of rib crushing power and a jaw dropping scorcher of a guitar solo to round off! Seriously. Check out this solo upon release day. You won’t be disappointed!
‘Bleak’ features another guest performance in the shape of Johnny Ciardaullo, as does ‘A World Away’ with Alan Grijna of Distant. One guest is a great way to inject some variety into an album. Two can be useful. Three seems a little excessive though and threatens interfering with forming an identity for the album and band. As well as raising questions as to how this can be replicated in a live setting.
‘Endless//Loveless’ is a curve ball to say the least! Feeling almost like a modern country song such is the rhythm in the early sections, as well as the vocal texture and overall sentiment of the song centered on that of melancholy and heartbreak. Really, it’s hard to understand how this fits with the rest of the album from a stylistic point of view. Though considering that the project was essentially a tool to blow off some tension and offer a cathartic release, this song surely offers that to the artists.
“Endless” descends to the murkiest of heavy music whilst offering exciting and unexpected melodic and cathartic outbursts. There’s a new hungry contender for the crown of deathcore kings. Whilst feeling too early to make a serious threat for that title, “Endless” will act as a statement that a new and serious challenger has emerged!
TRACKLISTING:
01. Endless/Godless
02. Seed
03. Forlorn
04. Vast Eternal
05. Wither
06. Evermore
07. Dread
08. Bleak
09. A World Away
10. Endless//Loveless
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