I was blown away by their debut, 2022’s Mondo Fiction, and I am picking myself up off the floor again! Intelligent thoughtful songs that rock hard but with cinematic touches and flourishes that give this a gritty, and sometimes grimy, soundtrack vibe. I recently asked vocalist/ guitarist/ keyboards maestro Ivan what genre he felt suited such a diverse band and he laughed and said they had been described as ‘Noir Metal’. Now he and I both felt that was just part of their work but I think it does put you somewhere near their territory – an always interesting experience with plenty of offshoots and alleyways lurking.
It opens with the epic Procesion De La Muerte with Redd’s martial drums, Morricone style mariachi trumpets and a supernatural choir. Take your seats! Killer Outfit is a twisting metal blast with delightful accessories such as the wah Shaft style guitar. In Plain Sight opens with a wicked 70s style film groove which percolates nicely through this catchy track.
Time now for some surf noir guitar and it’s enhancing the intense Defying Eye, which is also packed with riffing guitars – the two elements make for an engaging listen and this is brought home by two contrasting solos – surf noir and pure metal. Neil is the lead guitarist, but I assume he’s trading licks here with Ivan. Iris (I Rise) has a spooky little intro and there’s an enticing playful feel to the music. Great vocals too from Ivan and a strong chorus.
Broken Vow opens what would be side two with one of those nagging precision riffs that Scorpions love. I love how this one just soars on the choruses and the little plucked string details in the mix. It’s an excellent song and the breakdown at 3:11 for the guitar solo is terrific. It shines over an insistent keyboard and then some warm bass (from Duncan) and organ. I mean this is such immersive stuff!
Mantra is spaghetti western heaven with a theremin (maybe) in the background. There’s a rumble to it of something big coming on the horizon and there’s so much going on in the song. There’s an excellent breakdown to Redd’s drums at 2:53 joined by muted guitar plucks, then Duncan’s bass and some nods to Morricone in the background. The Morricone feel gets more overt with the following lead guitar part from Neil, This is one of those songs which ends and leaves you wanting more. A stunning dramatic outro too!
The final four are where things somehow get even more interesting, and I didn’t think that was possible. The Director’s Curse sees Ivan on mellotron strings alone with minimal accompaniment. It’s moody, full of foreboding and melancholy. Somebody at a streaming platform needs this for their new series right now!
Final Cut is a sensation – wonderful interweaving guitar parts and a spellbinding vocal. Those guitars even get into a wonderful trading lines solo section and boy what another great outro.
Heist has a harpsichord feel piano part which is something different. This band is so so good at textures. The moody breakdown section is another example of how they can switch things around to great effect in a song.
Somehow they manage to save the best to last, and Delusion is, for me, the best example of how they have raised their own bar even higher. I can hear some Opeth style touches in this one, but it still has the distinctive Opensight stamp all over it. The chorus is stunning, superb and powerful and yet also understated. It’s Ivan’s best vocal on the album, and the best band performance too. For me then it’s also their best ever song. All this and they spoil me with the return of the mellotron string sample. The song plays out and doesn’t relent, there’s no big drama here it just maintains its deeply affecting mood, with only a tasteful lead guitar part breaking cover.
This will be one of my albums of the year – I would give it 10/10. Opensight could, and should, be many people’s new favourite band. They are certainly one of mine. Now I just need to catch them live because on this evidence it will be amazing.
The Outfit, is set for release on Friday 15th May via Inertial Music. The band will also release a new single and accompanying video, In Plain Sight, on Friday 13th March.
