9.5/10
Written by: The Wolf
When Coalesce went on what seemed to be a permanent hiatus in 1999, a deep void was left in mine, and many other metal fan’s musical lives. After the band recorded 012:Revolution in Just Listening, in completely separate sessions from one another, it seemed that reconciliation was out of the picture.
While ‘0:12′ was a decent album, the disconnect that was happening withing the band came through in the recording, and it lacked the intensity and drive of the phenomenal ‘Give Them Rope’, and ‘Functioning On Impatience’, their two previous records.
As various band members went on to join other influential bands including The Casket Lottery, The Get Up Kids, and Reggie and the Full Effect, hints of a reunion and a few small tours never materialized into anything substantial.
All that changed in June 2009 when the band released their triumphant return to the forefront of progressive metalcore (for lack of a better term) with Ox.
Not simply a rehashing of their previous albums, Ox represents the natural progression the band would have taken over the years had they remained intact.
Fresh off the heels of that stellar release comes the OXEP (not “Ox ep” as the band states). Make no mistake, this isn’t a collection of songs not worthy enough for the LP, but a continuation of the thunderous album which shares its name.
I recommend listening to both the EP and the LP through a good set of headphones, as you’ll want to make sure you pick up on everything that is happening. Heavily distorted bass guitar features prominently throughout the record, and there is hardly a hint of any notes in higher registers. This combined with the use of acoustic guitar and subtle electronics make for both a beautiful and brutal recording.
While longer than most EP’s at 7 songs, tracks 1 and 7, Ox To Ore, and Ore To Earth, are mostly percussive and form the perfect intro and outro to this amazing effort.
If it’s been since 1999 when you last listened to Coalesce, do yourself a favor and pick up Ox and OXEP and re-familiarize yourself them, as they are destined for greatness once again.
