In most any line of work, few things are as valuable as networking and collaboration. And when your resume includes co-writing a song for Lamb of God guitar Mark Morton's debut solo album alongside the legendary late Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington, chances are, your network in the music industry is nothing short of impressive.
Such is the case for Jake Oni, the mastermind behind the band ONI, who has paired his professional connections with his incredible talent to deliver The Silver Line, his band's third full length album. Progressive in nature with complex passages, heavy beatdown riffs, and ambience thrown in for good measure, ONI unites an all-star cast under one banner to unleash nine stellar metalcore injected tracks.
Opening with a synth sequencer before transitioning into a catchy melody, "Silhouette" is a solid welcome to the world of ONI. Reminiscent of Protest the Hero and Fair to Midland, "Spark" is a high energy follow up featuring rapper and artist Sueco delivering his unique finesse and flow in the bridge section.
Tipping a hat to the djent heavyweights of today, "Silence In A Room Of Lies" brings the ultra heavy grooves of YouTube metal sensation Jared Dines together with Jake's wide vocal range that fans have come to love.
Channeling some Born of Osiris textures on "Underneath My Skin", Jake is joined at the mic by Kellin Quinn of Sleeping With Sirens, who keeps the pace as the second of six immense guest vocal appearances on the album. With Justin Hill (SixTh) joining in on "The Dread", and Michael Lessard (The Contortionist) stepping up to the mic on "Armageddon", the variety of styles are as vast as any of the music on the album.
Capped off with a double dose of old school metalcore glory, "Aura" features the mighty roar of Howard Jones (Light the Torch, ex-Killswitch Engage) and Josh Gilbert (Spiritbox, ex-As I Lay Dying), the latter of whom served as co-producer of the album.
As valuable as networking is, it only goes so far as the talent and ambition behind it. After all, when you're a band on tour with the likes of Megadeth, Bullet For My Valentine, Cradle of Filth and DevilDriver (just to name a few), you need to be ready to melt faces and leave an impact. In the case of The Silver Line, there is no question that ONI has exactly what it takes to roll with the best in the business and leave a mark on stages around the world.
The Metal Mayan review:
I have long considered myself to be an OG metalcore fan when it comes to this specific subgenre. Though by no means a purist, I guess I have been a bit distant from the scene for some time - waiting for something to catch my ear with a unique twist.
Jake Oni finally did it for me by knocking the status quo out of the park with his unique brand of 'core, combining heavy with melodic, ambience with brutality, and peppering in electronics in just the right dose. I appreciated Sueco's guest rhymes on "Spark", and the grooves of "Silence In A Room Of Lies" will definitely have that song on rotation at The Metal Mayan HQ.
I have seen ONI on several tour fliers in recent years, but I was still very impressed with Jake Oni's voice. After so many years of guttural vocals in the genre, it's refreshing to hear someone with such powerful pipes.
I'm not sure if hard copies are set to be released, but check out The Silver Line on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music, out 13 October on Ironshore Records.
Advanced copy courtesy of Secret Service PR and Ironshore Records