Opensight – ‘The Voice Of Nothing’ Album Review

Hailing from Columbia, Opensight combine elements of progressive rock (especially in their syncopated rhythms and fluid guitar solos), Swedish metal in the vein of Opeth and Katatonia and even some elements of NWOBHM within their carefully structured songs. This disc ‘the voice of nothing’ follows on from the band’s debut (‘prosthetic soul’) which received decent reviews from pretty much across the board and it shows a band who are unafraid to experiment with sounds and textures and to push themselves musically to create an engaging and fascinating EP.

Opening track ‘only when’ opens with a staccato rhythm before Ivan David introduces vocals which are a menacing rasp rather than a towering roar although you can hear the potential for the latter. The effect is curiously European in style echoing bands such as Hunter (Poland) and Katatonia (Sweden) without sounding directly like either. While the opening to the song is solid, if unremarkable, around the two minute mark the track segues into a beautiful instrumental passage and you start to realise what Opensight are all about. Moreover when the heavy guitars do kick back in, underpinned by some remarkable drumming from Giovanny Nino and overlaid with an understated but beautiful solo from Carlos Gomez the track is made complete and you can appreciate the build up and atmosphere of the song. Heavier is ‘former heroes’ which has a hint of traditional rock to it with a storming riff, multiple vocals subtly overlaying one another and a memorable chorus not to mention another great solo. Once again, the beauty is in the details with delicate flourishes and moments which reference Opeth at their most jazz-influenced.

Offering up something of a surprise, the band switch to a gentle Pink Floyd mode on third track ‘deleted scene’ which is a wonderful piece of music that moves through a range of moods and styles. After the initially quiet opening, a thunderous barrage of riffs knocks the listener sideways while the vocals become steadily more insistent as each track arrives. Once again, while the whole band are technically proficient, special mention must go to the remarkable drumming skills of Giovanny whose playing is simply astounding. ‘Absolute truth’ is a storming track with a great opening punch that then relaxes for a verse that crackles with tension. Hinting at early Megadeth both vocally and with the riffs which come thick and fast it’s probably the most straight forward track on the disc, but it’s also a great moment which get’s the head moving. The final track of this distressingly short EP is ‘Skeptic’c creed’ which rounds things out on fine form with a blistering riff opening the song before Ivan pushes his voice for a verse which sees him competing with gloriously heavy drums and guitar. Better still the chorus is a complex, jarring, jazz-influenced beast and the band move through various musical elements as the song progresses.

Opensight are a genuinely unique, powerful, rock band. This brief EP offers myriad ideas and showcases the band’s technical prowess in a glowing light. Probably easiest labelled progressive, there are so many elements going on in the head’s of this Coumbian band that the music largely defies categorisation yet it still sounds cohesive and convincing. Fans of the recent surge of progressive themed metal such as Opeth, Katatonia, the more recent Iron Maiden albums and Tool will find a huge amount to admire here and you can find out more (as well as download the track ‘only when’) at the band’s website http://opensightband.com/site/ . An excellent release from a remarkable band – well worth your time.