Posted on: December 19, 2010 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

It takes a decent amount of time for Ostinato to get started on their “Chasing The Form”. The disc’s first track is “Goal of all Believers”, and it is well past a minute before David’s voice reaches a volume level that can be heard. It takes two minutes before the band is able to create the chaos and fury that Ostinato has been known for since 1997. The music that Ostinato plays is not metal, but rather is a very chaotic brand of rock that takes much from melodic metal. In a way, the band mixes together psychedelic rock with acts like Coldplay and Radiohead, and tops that with a little Sourvein and Venom. There is no real problem with the length of “Goal of All Believers”, but I feel as if the band might have had a little bit more in the way of momentum if the first minute was snipped.

This would bring the band fully into the track without getting individuals on the wrong foot. To say that the style of music that Ostinato plays is strung-out is to underestimate the act; “Antiaircraft” has a meandering tempo to it that moves to different realms ever so slightly and slowly. Where acts like those playing progressive metal would put something very melodic and calm before their harder tracks, Ostinato extends this slower, more melodic song through nine minutes and shows listeners that a metal band can actually wow individuals with their finesse. The disc only runs about fifty minutes, but Ostinato takes listeners on a trip through seven tracks that can not be more apart from each other. “The Art of Vanishing” is nearly the shortest track on the disc.

There seems to be a hurry-up offense here where the band aims forward and little else. There is little in the way of vocals during “Chasing The Form”. Even where there are vocals, there are little in the way of vocals that merely convey lyrics. The vocals that do make it onto the disc are largely there to forward the instrumentation. Ostinato create an epic journey for their listeners, and while individuals have to be patient for the band to pay off, there is a lot that the band will give to its listeners. The songs on “Chasing The Form” are polished through nearly ten years of existence, and this means that there are no faults easily discernible with Ostinato’s creative method.

Top Track: Antiaircraft

Rating: 6.3/10

Ostinato – Chasing The Form / 2006 Exile on Mainstream / 7 Tracks / http://www.southern.net/southern/band/OSTIN/press / http://www.exileonmainstreamrecords.de / Reviewed 24 July 2006

[JMcQ]

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