F.O.E.S. offer something old and something new with their debut EP Ophir, Getintothis’ Joseph Viney is willingly pulled into a vortex of noise.
Fresh from a late-2013 surge which saw them support No Age at the Korova and release a single, Liverpool’s F.O.E.S. have begun the new year just as strongly.
The release of new EP Ophir sees the heavily-inclined quartet proffer a delectable combination of sonic assaults, lighter shades and enough accessibility to attract the attention of the masses.
Ophir’s opening one-two punch, Sewn To The Sail & Unknown and The Writing On The Wall, are very in the vein of a form of alt-metal that is quickly becoming more popular and en vogue.
The crunch remains, but on top of that are crisp production values that allow every nuance to shine through. It’s reminiscent of Mastodon’s latter releases; grind replaced by a sheen that prevents talent becoming lost in a thick sludge.
Last year’s single and the EP’s centrepiece Ningyo combines all of these elements perfectly.
Although metal can sometimes suffer from its desire to put forth lofty, literary-esque concepts (Ophir’s closer is the wonderfully named The First Rook To Flee As The Thunder Rolls In), F.O.E.S. appear keen to keep their feet very much on the ground, and imbue their music with a sense of realism.
Four of Oxblood retains a relatability within its lyrics that is sometimes lacking from their contemporaries; “the day job’s getting old“.
Indeed, if F.O.E.S. continue on this trajectory they may find their day jobs becoming more enjoyable.
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