Taking the east coast and emo in total by storm in their math-infested riffs and squealing vocals, OLTH is unstoppable in their rise and magnetic in their range of expansive emotion--which they've only extended further in their newest double single. A close friend of mine showed me them about a year ago, and it's been incredible seeing them seep further and further into the mainstream. Send any music shits you have to [ fosterhildingmusic@gmail.com ] or DM me on Instagram.
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| photos stolen from band's Instagram. |
OLTH is wrought with noise, but never at the expense of their music--mastering jolting time signature changes and complex arrangements with a primal energy. fire dOve / xO sees them pull back the sheets of screaming flesh distortion a little further to reveal writhing post-hardcore-adjacent melodies and passages igniting not just energy into audiences, but a burning yearning essential to screamo. Sean's high-pitched aching is vital, masterful, and unmatched.
fire dOve. Beginning in an attack of Danny and Malcom's synchronized bursts of noise, this first track quickly descends into a power violence chugging that begs to either explode or fizzle out. OLTH does just that, fizzling into a metallic passage of wormy riffs and Ben's salt and pepper drums that embellish tension in sprinkles of snare and ride. Building into a powerful oblivion, they ascend higher and higher as feedback's squealing beckon gives way for a throbbing new window of a crushing, almost post-rock climax. It took me a long time to come around to Sean's vocals, so high and aching, but they are absolute perfection here--emotional, guttural, and breaking in every chord.
xO starts in opposition, a light groove and layered vocals captained by Dean's centered, creaking bass. The clicking of drums and screams from the room over calls into action a barrage of elephant stomping crushes of distortion. It's as short as they come, and packed with the vulgar energy of a bull rearing on attack, OLTH only outlining for us the moments of peace between destruction: beautiful, fleeting, difficult, and gone.
With cleaner production than every day is sOmeOne's speciaL day, this single serves as a promise for a brighter, heavier, and more emotionally adept era of OLTH that I cannot wait for. Everything is only ever pointing up for them in their takeover. I know this was quite a short blog. I have more coming, don't worry.
8.5/10
Stream fire dOve / xO.
-Foster
See OLTH on the remainder of the tour until August 14th.
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