Customer Reviews

Free

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I firmly belive that no post-Dream Theater Kevin Moore material is an easy listen, and OSI's long-awaited sophomore release is no exception. Many fans were curious how Jim Matheos and Kevin Moore were going to follow up their amazing debut release, and while first listens may leave some confused, a couple of thorough spins will have them hooked. Free is quite different from its predecessor in the way that it sounds a bit more like Moore's Chroma Key project than the self-titled OSI debut. Although there are still some amazing riffs from Jim Matheos, this album is definitely more Moore-driven and bears similarities with his more recent works, including his soundtrack Ghost Book and the last Chroma Key record Graveyard Mountain Home.

The duo is again supported by Mike Portnoy who plays acoustic drums this time around, displaying admirable restraint. No matter how many people may badmouth him, Portnoy continues to prove everyone what an amazing musician he is, appearing on all kinds of different projects, with great results. Free is perhaps his most minimalistic side, because of the thick atmosphere on the album, but at any rate, his performance his spectacular. Former bassist Sean Malone, on the other hand, has been replaced by Matheos' bandmate Joey Vera, playing bass on five tracks (which are mostly the heavier ones). The first two songs are also arguably the hardest-hitting pieces. "Sure You Will" kicks in with lots of electronic beats that give way to Vera's huge bass line and Matheos' crunchy guitar riffs as well as Moore's unique atmospherics. The title track continues in a similar fashion, and is shaped by Fates Warning-style riffs, a great bass groove, a plethora of sound effects, and a wickedly soaring chorus over gigantic, Tool-like riffs. Portnoy's drumming on this song is by far his best on the album, and continues to shock me every time I hear it.

From here on, there is a distinct Kevin Moore vibe happening. "Go" starts with wonderful acoustic guitars, static bleep sounds, industrial noises, and typical Chroma Key vocals. Minimalism is employed thoroughly on the song, with a symphonic aura created by Moore that might be the first thing to stand out on Free after the first couple of listens. The chorus is painfully gripping and rich in melody. What follows is arguably the best song, "All Gone Now". It is built upon a strong foundation of atmosphere and dynamics. Constantly shifting between mad riffage and daunting synth passages, this song features some of the finest melodies Kevin Moore has written since Awake. His synth melodies simply soar to high levels while Matheos' playing contrasts the eerie mood of the piece. "Home Was Good" is also instantly accessible, mainly because of Kevin's emotive singing where his voice echoes on and on fading into pure white noise, as gently strummed acoustic guitar sounds float above the evocative landscape. Strangely, this song recalls Moore's stuff on the Ghost Book soundtrack to me.

"Bigger Wave" is a bit like Blackfield, only more electronic. It is fleshed out with great breaks (Portnoy is amazing on this track as well), a rumbling bass, and an infectious chorus that goes like, "We can walk on the water and still find reasons to swim inside" in Moore's classic monotone. Speaking of vocals, this album is a lot more vocal-oriented than the previous one, and even the three Chroma Key discs. Moore sings on every track, and there are moments where his voice is the most central element to the piece. You have to hear "Once", the longest and most Chroma Key-like track, sung in an almost happy tone and enriched with various guitar textures; or the multi-vocal track "Simple Life" (with a killer blues guitar lead). Matheos doesn't play any solos, but he is very integral to the success of "Better", a bit like Porcupine Tree, with thick guitar chords that evoke his amazing playing on Fates Warning's Disconnected. The futuristic sound abstractions on "Kicking" are even shocking by Kevin Moore's standards and perfectly crafted. One exception is "Our Town", where the duo refrain from computer programming or electronic textures, and just play a moving acoustic track to end the album on a peaceful note.

I realize some people will say Free is no where near as melodic as the debut, but to me, this album, at its very roots, is very melody-friendly, and can become quite rewarding if listened at the right time and the right mood. If done so, you'll immediately pick up on the subtleties it encompasses and how every musical idea reinforces each other.

Eventually, Kevin Moore will get his due, not as the ex-prog keyboardist of Dream Theater, but as one of the finest songwriters of our time. Hopefully, this latest offering from O.S.I. will help to firm up that place in history.

During his Dream Theater days, Kevin's melodic songwriting ability helped to form the foundation upon which that band's success was based. The combination of great melodies and great musicianship is what made Dream Theater great. Arguably, when Kevin left to the tune of Space-Dye Vest, much of the melody left with him and we were, by and large, left with an exercise in self-indulgence which has gotten continually worse over the years. But Kevin left to pursue songs, not scales. First came Chroma Key - the start of something great. Then came the first O.S.I. album - the realization of something better. And, now, almost symbolically, comes "Free". And, with this, he ironicaly breaks all links to prog-rock by assembling prog-rock greats (Jim Matheos, Mike Portnoy, Joey Vera, etc.) and actually taming them so that we can enjoy the music. The musicians rally behind the songs, not their individual talents. And the result is incredible.

Combining the best industrial/techno production elements of Chroma Key, classic surreal lyrics, and simple but captivating melodies, we are treated to a dream-like journey through a unique new musical style that will speak mostly to musicians through composition, if not technical difficulty. In a previous review, I referred to the first O.S.I. album as "Chroma Key on Steroids". This second album is even more of an extension of Chroma Key than the first - softening the hard edges a little and featuring more vocals than instrumentals. So I would refer to this album as "Chroma Key Realized". It's almost as if this was the original vision that Kevin had in mind - bringing a band of talented musicians together to focus on the music instead of their own individual technical abilities. It is the natural progression of prog-rock. And it is great.

Clearly, I am a Kevin moore fan. But I do not want to underestimate the role, both compositional and otherwise, of Jim Matheos who plays an equal part in making this concept a reality. On the first album, the duo of Moore/Matheos seemed a little more disjointed - lending their individual styles on a song-by-song basis. So the first album clearly sounded part Chroma Key and part Fates, depending on what track you were listening to. But on "Free", Matheos and Moore are a true team - leaning more toward the Chroma Key style, but still forging a more collaborative and consistent style than they were able to achieve previously.

Buy this album. And, while you're at it, buy the rest of the Chroma Key/O.S.I. collection. And realize that you are witnessing the invention of a new musical style. Then, just sit back and enjoy the results - over and over again. Do not let this opportunity pass you by...

I liked the first O.S.I. disc a lot, but for some reason I never listen to it. It was good music, the limited edition packaging came with an awesome bonus disc, and Steven Wilson was on it. What more could you ask for? I guess I just got tired of it pretty fast. I have shutDOWN and the first track on my MP3 player, and those are about the only two tracks from the first one that I ever listen to. Again, I can't explain this. It's a good disc overall.

But this second disc is absolutely phenomenal. I can't stop listening to it. I think that it sounds to me like the Kevin Moore element of the band finally took over the sound and they really benefited from it. The first disc sounded more like a struggle between all the members, and I have heard that there was some tension on Portnoy's end because he was tending to try to steer the ship a little bit, and it wasn't really his ship to steer.

Anyway, it's just a great CD. The melodies are amazing, especially on the second half of the disc, and there is just enough crunchy guitar sprinkled in here and there to make you remember who it is that you're actually listening to. Kevin Moore is a genious with electronic sounds and is a terrific lyricist. I almost didn't buy this disc based on how much I actually listen to the first one, but I'm so glad I did. This is the best disc I've heard since Porcupine Tree's Deadwing disc came out.

Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) and Kevin Moore (Dream Theater, ChromaKey) team up once more with their second album from OSI titled 'Free'. Fans of the first CD will NOT be disappointed with this effort as it retains much of the energy of the first while introducing a bit more electronic flavor to the mix. Don't get me wrong... The infectious rhythm guitar grooves are definitely there as Matheos puts down building layers of thick six-string punch. And just when you think it can't get any thicker, in comes Joey Vera to fatten the bottom-end even more. But this album introduces more analog synth sounds and even a solo or two by our now-reinvented godfather of synth nirvana via Dream Theater, Kevin Moore. The vocals and lyrics are signature Kevin Moore style and highly reminiscent of past ChromaKey albums. And combined with Jim Matheos' incredible musical songwriting ability, the music comes alive with nifty secret agent undertones and clever lines sure to evoke a grin or two. It's a killer combination that will leave most any prog fan drooling for a third release from this duo. A+ effort. Thanks to OSI for giving us more of what was great about the first album - while still giving us fresh new material that is enjoyable right from the first listen!

Having a debut album that was as well received in the progressive music scene as the first -OSI- album was , can be a curse disguised as a blessing . The expectations were set unrealistically high for the second -OSI- offering as a result of the overwhelming success of it's predesessor . I had a looming suspicion that -Free- was doomed to disappoint before it was even released . Some are saying that -Free- doesn't sound like it's predesessor . I say ....good . -OSI- should continue to grow and evolve musically , and this is something that should be encouraged . It is nothing short of tragic to see an indelibly unique band reach contentment , to stop growing as artists . Kevin Moore delivers his best vocal performance to date , his monotonous ambivalence can be down right chilling on certain tracks , especially on the hypnotically mediative - Home Was Good - . Other stand out tracks include - Go - , - Kicking - , Bigger Wave , - Our Town - ( which is refreshing , and uncharacteristically acoustic ) , and - Simple Life - . Although , i will point out that -Free- does not put it's best foot forward . The first two tracks - Sure You Will - and the title track -Free - are a bit to straight-forward and lack that signature -OSI- flare . Over all , this is a very good album and i highly recommend it to anyone , especially Moore aficionado's , he really shines on this album . He has a commanding presence as a vocalist .

This music is fresh, original and exiting.I got the special edition with six more songs and I want to say that I'm very impressed. The sound is very well balanced and the quality is really exeptional especially if you have a good Hi-Fi system to listen it. This is one of the best sounded albums for years in my opinion and a good answer to the banal and cheap trends of endustrial popular music. Thank you guys.

I don't know if keeping Mike Portnoy in a humble "with performances by" level will sentence the likely third installation of this band without this brilliant (and arrogant) drummer contributing into it. In "Free", Portnoy only records his drums from a distance and that's it. The creative arrangements are Matheo's and Moore's complete responsability and they deliver the expected. At least for me...

I like Fates Warning, Dream Theater and Chroma Key in all extents and in their respective niche, but this is not a project anymore. It is a beast living on its own. Take any song and use your music app to try and assign it any genre; it won't be easy. That's because OSI is traveling on a path paved by Kevin Moore, a slippery and evasive guy who is willing to live a "Simple Life", drive a Hyundai, live in Costa Rica and travel to Turkey to compose lyrics for an obscure film no one will ever know about because it will hardly make it into imdb.com. He has a strange phone fetish and is willing to drive home on a bus and miss his stop by 10 blocks and even sleep in the street pavement. I mean this guy couldn't care less about much and he will grudge at anyone that keeps tagging him as an ex-DT member. Kevin is a musical genious that has created a new world that expresses the deepest concerns of his life or the ones of many others.

Maybe that's why his music is sometimes misunderstood, and his majestic untortuous lyrics are sometimes mistaken as simple gibberish. Again, I recommend this album for open minded, artistic sensible people. Buy this one at first sight and enjoy your ride.

I would call this OSI's debut because they have solidified the core of OSI with two mainstays. The self titled Office of Strategic Influence was awesome proggy, eclectic music. But not something I played all the time even though I love the disc. This disc is more commercial with songs following a less progrossive structure of intro, verse, chorus, bridge, verse and chorus out. I was initially disappointed but found after several spins that this project has more appeal to me than the previous... I can randomize the disc without taking away the integrity of the whole disc. The first song is by far the worst for me because of the relentless and never changing bass line. This really urked me because of the musical prowess these boys possess. For crying out loud... change that bass line, it's driving me crazy! I would have liked a greater presence of the metal toned guitar, and a few leads wouldn't have hurt, but all in all it shines as OSI's Debut album. It has a darker tone musically without letting the darkness creep over into the lyrical side. It's melancholy and moody, but good listening. Sampling is still present but not as much as on the first album, I missed this too on the second album. Tracks 2, 3, and 6 shine and the album ends with a great acoustic track similiar to Hello Helicopters. You'll like it, but don't expect the same OSI as before. Office of Strategic Influence is that one of kind album that is up there with ARK's burn the sun... never to be repeated.

Maybe at first listen, it sounds a tad different. There are no instramentals, and no Steven Wilson. However, after a couple of listens, I feel that this sophmore release is just as good. I only wish they would have some longer tracks and make the album longer than 48 minutes.

This album somehow manages to be highly creative/experimental and at the same time highly accessible/catchy. I don't know how Matheos and Moore pulled this off, but "Free" is somehow both dark and really, really fun.