Odin’s Court | Human Life in Motion
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer —
Assumptions can get you in trouble. At the very least, they can backfire and show you just how little you know about something. Case in point: Maryland-based metal band Odin’s Court. With a name like that and the old school artwork adorning their latest album Human Life in Motion, you assume you’re going to get a traditional heavy metal album with perhaps some Viking/pagan trappings. Heathen hammers and all that. As soon as you queue up the first track – Affect Us (Affectus) – though, you realize you have to toss that assumption straight out the window.
This is, quite simply, gorgeous music. Between the melodies, the subtle yet intricate guitar work and Matt Brookins’s rich vocals, you just want to sit back and let the music wash over you. Brookins sounds a bit like Dare’s Darren Wharton and Marillion’s Steve Rothery, and Human Life in Motion has a bit in common with both bands. The melodies are so lush it’s tempting to call this a melodic rock album, but there are some metal elements. “Silent Revolution (Insania)” and “Echo of Chaos (Poena)” in particular have some real heaviness, and are very reminiscent of classic Pain of Salvation. There is also a strong progressive aspect to Odin’s Court’s sound. That’s progressive in the Pink Floyd sense, rather than the Dream Theater sense, which complements the melodic elements quite well.
Conceptually, Human Life in Motion is an interesting album. It’s meant to be taken in as a whole, as a cohesive album dealing with the mind and the range of human emotion. It pays to give this album a few spins to really soak it all in. Once for the melodies, another time to appreciate the technical aspects, another to focus on the lyrics, and so forth.
How to recommend this one? Metal fans may find it to be a bit too mellow, and some progressive rock purists may be put off by the parts that are more metallic in nature. Honestly though, if you’re an open-minded fan of either (or better yet, both) styles of music, there’s a lot to like about Human Life in Motion. Fans of Dare and Steve Rothery-era Marillion in particular should absolutely love what Odin’s Court has come up with here. It’s rare that an album satisfies on both a technical and emotional level, but Human Life in Motion does exactly that.
Genre: Progressive Rock
Band:
Matt Brookins (v) (g) (k)
John Abella (d) (v)
Craig Jackson (b) (v)
Rick Pierpont (g) (v)
Track Listing:
1. Affect Us (Affectus)
2. Blue Line 5:30 A.M. (Inops)
3. Can’t Forgive Me (Invidia)
4. There Then, Here Again (Frustror)
5. Blacktop Southbound (Animus)
6. Silent Revolution (Insania)
7. The Wrong Turn at the Right Time (Oneiroi)
8. Red Glow Dreaming (Laetitia)
9. Echo of Chaos (Poena)
10. Feathered We Fly (Termanatio)
11. Leaving Chicago (Moestitia)
Label: ProgRock
Website: www.odinscourtband.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10