Review: O Zorn! Takes Long Beach Sludge to More Pleasant Places with Vermilion Haze
Not that being one of the only bands making waves in Long Beach playing sludge metal isn’t enough, but O Zorn! also has the benefit of balancing the genre’s melodicism and dissonance. Where a band like Baroness might lean toward the former and Thou toward the latter, O Zorn! has found a way to let the riffs guide them beyond such limitations. Hooky, heavy, and grimy, Vermilion Haze finds O Zorn! more than earning their keep as one of Southern California’s most exciting bands within the sludge, doom, or heavy rock umbrellas.
Compared to the dirgey negativity of O Zorn!’s 2017 album My Anxiety, the abject catchiness of the opening cut “Features” shows how far frontman Bill Kielty has come in his ability to weave clean singing into his massive riffs. He still screams his brains out when the mood calls for it, but he isn’t afraid to tip a hat to the through chorus factories of ‘90s groove metal. It’s not hard to compare “Slow Mood” and Alice In Chains as Kielty lets more of his emotive drawls slither through the doom rock melee. Guitarist Justin Suitor and Justin Morales bassist still retain a love for thick, minor-key distortion, through the filter of that weird period when Seattle grunge wasn’t sure whether to follow Melvins or try a lighter touch.
Speaking of a lighter touch, “Never Saw It Coming” may be the most accessible O Zorn! song. This is really where the heavy alternative influence reaches its head, emphasizing Kielty’s singing above all else. It’s a bold move, considering the sludge scene’s devotion to the riff. Still, the band rises to the occasion with a smart arrangement rife with memorable motifs, driving grooves, and dynamic chord progressions. While not as overtly infectious, the eerie melodies and washy guitar strains of “Cloud None” evoke similar attention to nuance akin to many strands of ‘90s guitar music — namely the strands that prefer to use heavy guitars as a canvas for spectral singing.
Although many of the new elements introduced to the O Zorn! sound in Vermilion Haze display a markedly less harsh approach, cuts like “I See Through You” and “New Suffer” still demand to be played at high volume with bong in hand. Whether it be the former’s chilling modulations or the latter’s barrel-chested chords, the band’s roots in pure volume worship remain intact as they diversify tempos and arrangements. On the other hand, taking away the feedback and grave vocals reveals songs that would remain solid with just acoustic guitar and vocals. In this way, the heavy element only increases the impact of the emotion, rather than attempting to make up for any lack thereof.
This hyper-emotive quality reaches a fever pitch on “I Got Mine,” in which impassioned screams and forlorn singing layer over slow-burning guitar strains and percussive crescendos. Careful practice of repetition, meticulous note placement, and a steady build-up of tension give this song a post-rockish quality, again showcasing the way branching out from hateful riff-mongering can do wonders for a band’s songwriting chops without necessarily trimming the aural weight. This more atmospheric side of O Zorn! carries over onto “Ricochet,” further highlighting the power of hypnotic drum patterns and lackadaisical riffage in the hands of the right musicians. Drummer Derek Eglit especially gets a chance to shine here, letting his grooves ebb and flow naturally with Kielty’s singing.
O Zorn! has surely come a long way since their releasing their demo and opening for Black Flag in 2013. After slugging it out in the underground for so long, they’ve risen to the occasion with great songs to drive their increased notoriety. At the very least, Vermilion Haze segments O Zorn! as a modern champion of Long Beach loud guitar music… and locals had better hop on the bandwagon soon before these songs disseminate through the scene. These tunes aren’t meant to stay in Alex’s Bar, and every step O Zorn! takes upward is more than deserved.
O Zorn’s Vermilion Haze is out March 15 via Seeing Red Records.
