O Emperor - Vitreous

by Adrian Huggins

published: 16 / 8 / 2013

Label: K and F Records
Format: CD

Initially deceptively mellow but increasingly more complex and experimental second album from Irish band, O Emperor

Review

By ‘Whitener (Part 1)’ which sits third place on O Emperor’s second album ‘Vitreous,’ you’re transformed from thinking that you’re listening to another, albeit decent, indie band. They’re pretty far past that it would seem. That is not to discount the first few tracks on the album. They are superb. There’s just a lot more on offer than one would think at first. I guess the best way to describe it is like meeting a new friend - A new friend you think on the surface is a pretty cool type, nice but fairly stable and normal, and then you realise they’re actually a total nut job but they hide it well and that their character is far more complex as a result. Transforming their initially mellow vibe, O Emperor proceed to lure their listener into some sort of mad dream land with distorted drums and sounds that just explode into life. O Emperor follow in the footsteps of artists like David Bowie that make accessible experimental music. They are not too ‘out there’ so that you feel like you might never be able to listen to a radio again, but they have a side to them that grabs you and has you listening curiously as you’re drawn into a new and exciting world. ‘Land of The Living’ and ‘Contact’ are the main culprits for this kidnap of the mind and imagination. Definitely worth listening to if you’re in the mood for something which sparks the imagination.