“Determinist” is an album that brings surprises to the fans. It brought many to me as well. The sonancies were very unexpected, if you know what I mean. The mix of harsh vocals near Extreme Metal’s with what could be said as Prog Rock was really not a thing I would expect to listen these days. On the other hand, I ask myself why hasn’t anyone done it before? Maybe somebody has, but I haven’t known what maybe the truth.
“Determinist” is the sophomore album of Octohawk whose debut was “Animist.” By both tittles my dear child of the night might realize the band likes to use philophical terms in its music. This makes the album even more tasteful. The mix they deliver here is also something that makes he fan goes wild.
According to Britannica, determinism, in philosophy and science, the thesis that all events in the universe, including human decisions and actions, are causally inevitable. Determinism entails that, in a situation in which a person makes a certain decision or performs a certain action, it is impossible that he or she could have made any other decision or performed any other action. In other words, it is never true that people could have decided or acted otherwise than they actually did. It’s the first time I’ve ran into a band that brings up this kind of discussion to an album. In other terms, Octohawk are saying there is no other way of accepting the fate that is already determined to our lives. Humankind is stuck with somebody’s choices as a matter of putting it. Well, it’s a way of seeing it. It’s not right, but to some extent it’s not wrong.
I said before what could be said as Prog Rock because I’m not really sure if I can say it’s Prog Rock. In fact, I guess, if I hace some doubts about it I might be right because Prog Rock is indetermined in some ways as is “Determinist.” Maybe, just maybe the right term would be Art Rock. The sonancies Octohawk have delivered here aren’t the expected with a mix a Old School Heavy Metal guitars and many, but many white noise and electronic effects that takes the album to an ethereal place somewhere. The harsh vocals kind of value more the melodic choices Octohawk made here.
The best thing to do is listen to the album and make your own mind. I’m sure Octohawk and “Determinist” will surprise you as they did surprise me. Let the mind games begin.
Octohawk “Determinist” was released on June 07th via Crime Records.
Track Listing:
- Arcane Dawn
- Quantum Age
- Decode
- Momentum
- Earthrise
- Beyond Tomorrow
- Gateways
Watch “Quantum Age” official music video here:
1993
I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!
