Formed in the Northeast of England and releasing their first fiery batch of riffs in 2015, Osiah have grown from a gentle whisper in the ears of extreme music enjoyers, to a category five hurricane capable of ripping the doors and windows out of your house. The band have been releasing consistently brutal music since their inception, signing to Unique Leader Records just a few years into their reign of terror. 2021’s Loss saw the group achieve heaps of critical acclaim and much deserved praise from fans across the world – and now the band are back with a new offering – Kairos.
Rapid, furious, precise and fiery – Kairos comes across more like a tactical missile strike than just a heavy album, with drummer Danny Yates’ supercharged assault on the kit providing an electric experience. From the creativity and passion behind his drum fills on songs like ‘White Feather’, to the staggering speed of his limbs across more or less every song here, Yates injects the urgency an album like this needs and deserves.
Sticking to the percussive onslaught like hot glue, and occasionally spitting dangerously out at you, are the white-hot guitars laid down by shredders Andy Mallaby and Chris Keepin. Their absolute mastery over their instruments is readily apparent when you’re in the midst of a cascade of their technical chug grooves and mind-bending riffs.
“Kairos comes across more like a tactical missile strike than just a heavy album”
The pair flex their talent across many parts of this album, with spidery riffs like on ‘Elder King’, epic lead parts on songs like ‘The Golden Throne’ and ‘Hues Refract’, and progressive softness on the latter. It’s very clear that Osiah value progress and evolution over sticking close to the genre’s classic sound. It’s this innovative approach to song writing that makes Kairos such an addictive listen. There are no dull moments – every section has been sculpted with a surgical precision that leaves you fixated on the carnage at all times.
Arguably though, one of the most impressive draws of the album derives from the insane vocal acrobatics of demon frontman Ricky Lee Roper. His command of his voice is deeply impressive, and he pulls no punches in delivering the performance of a lifetime on this album. From the seizure-inducing animal howl at the start of ‘The Inherited Sorrow’ to the serene, passionate delivery of ‘Hues Refract’ – a fantastic way to bring such an immense offering to a close – Roper is an absolute monster, pushing the envelope to achieve deathcore perfection.
The flow from one track to the next, combined with the visuals and the truly masterful production work by guitarist Andy Mallaby, gives Kairos a real shot at pushing the band even further towards becoming one of the premier deathcore bands in the UK – and they’ve earnt it.