Customer Reviews

Office Of Strategic Influence

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

OSI is a "super-group" project consisting of Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) on guitar, Kevin Moore (Chroma Key, ex-Dream Theater) on vocals and keyboard, and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) on drums. It also features Sean Malone (Gordian Knot) on bass and Steve Wilson (Porcupine Tree) as a guest vocalist on one song.

Being a big fan of Chroma Key, Fates Warning, and Dream Theater, I had very high expectations for this CD ever since I first heard about it several months ago. Now that I finally have the CD in hand, I am very impressed.

I would describe the music as a blend of Chroma Key and Fates Warning (not surprising since Matheos and Moore co-wrote most of the songs). The tracks range in style from very heavy (lots of "balls and chunk" as Portnoy would say) to very subdued. All of the tracks are marked with Kevin Moore's signature production style (i.e., multi-layered soundscapes with lots of voice samples and electronic sounds -- fans of Chroma Key will know exactly what I'm talking about). The result is something that has many elements of prog-metal, but which is very different from a typical prog-metal album. I am extremely pleased with this end result, however someone buying this disc expecting to hear a clone of Dream Theater or Fates Warning is likely to be disappointed. Another caution that I would like to mention is that Kevin Moore's voice might not appeal to everyone. I have no complaints about it -- in fact I think it fits the music very well -- but he does not really have a "lead singer" voice.

If you do decide to buy this album, I would recommend paying a little extra to get the limited edition, which includes a second CD with three bonus tracks. The first two tracks on this bonus CD are cool cover versions of Pink Floyd's "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" (performed by Moore and Portnoy) and Neil Young's "New Mama" (performed by Moore). The third track is a 17-minute instrumental demo by Matheos and Portnoy ("The Thing That Never Was"), parts of which ended up forming the basis for five of the ten OSI songs.

In summary, I think that anyone who is a fan of both Fates Warning and Chroma Key will love this disc. Fans of Fates Warning and/or Dream Theater who are NOT familiar with Kevin Moore's Chroma Key albums may like this disc, but they should definitely take into account the cautions that I mentioned above.

Finally! A prog rock side project with more than just notes! If you are expecting to hear anything even closely resembling Dream Theater, Fates Warning, or any form of progressive metal, you will not find it here. What you will find, however, is some of the most artistically produced, beautifully layered, melodic, and textured music that is currently available. In a word, it is fantastic.

This CD, in my opinion, is mostly Kevin Moore. Anyone who is a fan of Moore's music will be sucked into this CD from beginning to end. The music is very reminiscent of Chroma Key, but with the added "chunk" that Matheos and Portnoy bring to the project. In this respect, I might compare some of the songs to Dream Theater's "Space-Dye Vest" - but with the more subdued vocals of Moore. (As Dream Theater fans know, "Space-Dye Vest" was the stand-out track on their Awake album which was written by Moore and represented a big departure from the Dream Theater norm.)

Whatever the comparison, this is great music from the core. Fans of Chroma Key - you'll love this CD. Fans of Fates Warning and Dream Theater - keep an open mind and appreciate the future of progressive rock. It has finally arrived.

This CD is the culmination of a side project put together by Jim Matheos, guitarist for Fates Warning. It includes Jim Matheos on guitar, Kevin Moore (Ex Dream Theater) on Keyboards, and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) on drums. Bassist Sean Malone from Gordian Knot contributes most of the basslines, surprisingly, all done on a fretless bass. The CD weaves an interesting layer of sound throughout the entire recording, that changes shape constantly. One of the nicest things about this CD is that it never fatigues the listener with mindless progressive jaunts, rather, it envelops the listener in a world of sound and grooves that change shape often enough that it never gets monotonous. Sampling is present on this CD, but it's so creatively done that it intertwines with the music and forms part of the atmosphere. Kevin Moore has become a master as creating sonic landscapes, and Portnoy and Matheos ensure that these "landscapes" are backed up with some very firm content in the form of driving grooves and syncopated rhythms. The grooves on this CD stick in your head, and the odd melodic lyrics are also very memorable. The guitar work on this CD is heavier and more complex than much of the stuff Matheos has put out in the past, and it fits perfectly with the keyboard landscape that Moore has created. But I was most impressed with the variety of guitar work on this CD. Jim Matheos demonstrates his ability as a songwriter, by constantly expanding his boundaries. You wont simply hear re-recorded "Fates Warning" songs on this CD. James takes a completely different approach and it works very well. Overall, this CD is one that will stay in your CD player for a long time. Guaranteed!

Kevin Moore?! Mike Portnoy!? Jim Matheos!? Sean Malone!? Clearly a PROG-HEAD'S DREAM! Right? Well, no. That isn't to say that this isn't a great album, but if you're looking for highly technical progressive metal then you won't find it here. If, however, you are looking for a well crafted, intelligent album (albeit not an album without flaws) then this is the album to buy.

I have yet to hear Kevin Moore's solo work (Chroma Key), but judging by the comparisons between that and this, it isn't hard to see why he left progressive metal titans Dream Theater (Mike Portnoy's main band). This is considerably simpler, the music based on sound and effect rather than technical jam sections and impossibly fast solos. Matheos only solos once throughout the entire album, and even then its a gentle, simple solo that's based on feeling and tone. His riffs are for the most part chunky yet straight-forward, as are Malone's bass lines. Portnoy plays a variety of fills, some complex, some simple. Moore's keyboard is fairly simple for the most part, also concentrating on building samples into the music (think Dream Theater's Space-Dye Vest). The point of me telling you this is that the music is all sound and effect. It isn't about technical passages. The result is an album that, whilst being an aquired taste (a fair few listens are needed before you truly appreciate it), is genuinely great music relying on nothing other than its own sound as opposed to blowing people away.

It is a little flawed. Some of the verses can sound weak for example, and occasionally the whole 'simplicity' thing seems forced. I also find parts of the album to be a little repetitive.

Nonetheless, if you want something different from the prog scene other than as many notes a second as possible.

In the world of progressive rock music, one finds shelter from the storm that the industry pounds down on you. Unfortunately, within this shelter (though I do support all prog), we're still getting bombarded. Not with bad music necessarily, but with an excess of "side projects" that get churned out faster than one can write a lyric for the next Matchbox 20/John Mayer bland-o-rama hit. Yes, in the prog world, it's not raining Acid Rain, but it is raining... hmmmm.... let's say candy. This is a good metaphor because there's so much greatness you can't eat it all and you have to pick and choose, unless you are extremely wealthy and/or have a really good pancreas.

When you heard about O.S.I., no doubt you were intrigued, but possibly you (like me) were exhausted that you felt obligated to pick up yet ANOTHER of Portnoy's works. I knew I had to get it but didn't even know when I would get around to listening to it.

So let me tell you; along with Transatlantic and L.T.E., this is one of the great side-endeavors worth anybody's listening. It uses what I consider the PERFECT formula, which is all too sensible to me, yet almost always neglected; commercial sensibilities with a MUSICAL BRAIN and still the power of ROCK.

Yes, kids, what we have here is a minor miracle. There's no 64th note rollercosters a la John Petrucci, BUT, to be honest, I needed an album with some time to breathe (notice I didn't say sleep, which is what one would get in the "real world" of pop fluff).

This album is smart as hell, using poignant sound clips from the news, carefully planned synth layers, and very good lyrics, revealing that SONGWRITING is indeed, not a bad word at all. AND, they get all the more credit for some good "commercial" (for lack of a better word) sensibilities, using nice strategically placed hooks and choruses at times. The songs are kept short, except for one, which is the best song on the album (as it should be). It is called shutDOWN, featuring the brains behind Porcupine Tree, and it is everything I always wanted in a song. Except for the fact that the B section doesn't get a great transition and it could easily pass for another song, that is. But that is excused because of the perfect marriage of mood, music, and lyrics. The rest of the songs all work together to create a similar atmosphere, while doing all of the things that good music should. Remember, writing a really really good pop tune is also a craft and skill, and it's not everyday that musicians master both worlds. I don't see what better criteria one could have for making music. An extra applause goes out to Kevin Moore, as it is clear he put a lot of hard work and effort into this creation. Job well done.

So, if you want to keep up with all the quality music releases out there, but funds do have an end point, take a breath, take a chance on O.S.I., and also enjoy that bonus cd!

I will begin by saying this: If you want a Dream Theater or Fates Warning album, then go put in a DT or FW album. OSI is a staggering achievement, far greater than the sum of its considerable parts, those being Kevin Moore of Dream Theater and Chromakey, Jim Matheos of Fates Warning, and Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater. Hovering somewhere in the gamut between ambient, progressive rock, world music, this album recalls acts as varied as Poe, Radiohead, Delerium, and Skinny Puppy, as well as the pedigree of Fates Warning and Dream Theater. Full of collaged samples, swirling analog keyboards, crunching guitars, and throbbing drum loops, OSI is a very unusual beast. Tense, suspicious, mysterious and angry, the album's themes reflect the current turbulent world climate well.

Kevin Moore's influence is probably the strongest of the three principal members of OSI, and fans of Moore who expect this to be a heavier and more eclectic version of Chromakey will find this right up their alley. But Dream Theater fans who want time-signature-shifting epics full of solos will only find two tracks to sate their appetites, the instrumental "The New Math", and the ten-minute ShutDOWN, featuring Steve Wilson on vocals.

This is uncharted territory for most prog metal fans, but for the adventurous and curious, OSI delivers in spades.

If you're reading this page, chances are you know the names already: Kevin Moore, Mike Portnoy, Jim Matheos. If you're familiar with their regular bands, you'll even spot some of the same elements through this disc - some of Chroma Key's loopy light-techno touches, a little (very little) of Dream Theater's crunch, plenty of the gloomy atmospherics of Fates Warning. OSI is a web of subtle electronics, monstrous riffs and everything in between. Bassist Sean Malone is basically a session hand rather than a collaborative partner, but I have to mention him as well. His low-end work is a study in masterful understatement, and any fan of intelligent hard rock will be well-served by his Gordian Knot project (which I think eclipses OSI and all the bands mentioned above). But this isn't the place to talk about that. The other name on the cast list is Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson, who co-writes and sings "shutDOWN." That track is possibly the main standout on a disc with virtually no weak points (even though it could almost belong on a recent PT album just as easily as here). They take several minutes building an enveloping atmosphere of doom before kicking into a fantastic mid-tempo thrash. It's a disturbingly powerful ten minutes that'll make you want to either sink into a bleak coma or punch through some windows.

Other highlights? The title song is a beautiful three-minute slice of hard rock with Moore providing some of the most excellent vocal harmonies I've heard lately outside of, well, Porcupine Tree. "Head" is evil electro-funk that'll warp your mind from the inside out. "Memory Daydreams Lapses" always makes me imagine wandering through the corridors of some huge cybernetic brain with a vague feeling of fear. I've seen Pink Floyd mentioned in a couple reviews, and to be fair there's a little similarity to be heard here. "Dirt From a Holy Place" has some of that same creepy ambience and searing guitar, and part of "Standby (Looks Like Rain)" seems to be flat-out copied from the slow middle section of PF's "Dogs." I guess OSI has a similar taste for moody atmospherics, but comparing them to Floyd is like comparing Phish to the Grateful Dead (which, if that's unclear, just means that it's wildly inaccurate and grossly unfair to both bands).

Kevin and Jim handle the production, which means that the recording & engineering throughout are simply superb. You can hear Mike's cymbals crackle with electricity when the occasional effects are added, you can hear Jim's guitar shred from one side of your head to the other, you can hear Kevin's voice range between softly filtered and metallized like an android's. I only wish that "The New Math" didn't date itself with its news samples, but that's only three minutes out of almost 45. It's a listening experience vivid enough to induce visions and strongly-written enough to rank with the best albums of the year (so far, and probably overall). Get in on this, or be left behind when the aliens come.

OSI is a side project of Dream Theater's long time drummer, Mike Portny and former DT Keyboardist (now with Chroma Key) Kevin Moore. The music they perform is a wonderful confluence of murky atmospheric progressive rock and driving boisterous progressive heavy metal. Sounds scary doesn't it? Well don't worry, it's wonderful. In addition to Portny and Moore, we have Fates Warning Guitarist, Jim Matheos, whose idea it was for this production, Bassist, Sean Malone (Gordian Knot, Chroma Key) and guest singer Porcupine Tree's Steve Wilson on track seven - "Shutdown". Wilson also wrote the lyrics for the unique "Shutdown", which comprises both styles in the same song All outer vocals were competently handled by Moore. Not surprisingly, three of the ten songs on disc 1 are instrumentals and vocals are somewhat sparse in the others (except "Shutdown").

Highlight Songs

"The New Math" (instrumental) For me "The New Math" has a strong Dream Theater flavor. Not surprising considering the roots of the drummer and keyboard player. This is Heavy Progressive Metal plain and simple. This song has voice samples of Dan Rather throughout and doesn't miss a beat as it segues into "OSI", the same song, same melody, the same beat but with light vocals added. In fact Moore's vocals are so mellow and lacking emotion that they remind me of Steve Miller.

"Head" starts out fairly mild, though with heavy guitar accents but it also has an industrial essence and does in fact sound like a Tool or Deadsoul Tribe song throughout. It goes back and forth then ends as it starts.

"Shutdown" This ten plus minute number is the song that Steve Wilson guests on. It resembles "Head" somewhat with the first half is strongly atmospheric and mellow with a couple heavy guitar interludes. Wilson's vocals are certainly more emotive than Moores and Moores backs the vocals with melancholy synth harmonies. The second half is like a different song with heavy Tool sounding guitars and bass, drums too in a semi Eastern refrain!

Conclusion

If you don't buy the Limited Edition version of this you don't get the twenty eight minute killer bonus disc with three great Progressive songs plus a twenty minute behind the scenes video documentary. Usually I don't feel bonus tracks or bonus CDs are worth while but this one is a Grande exception. You relly should look into the limited edition version before you buy.

Yes there are a couple so so tracks but the preponderance of the music is exciting and so fresh that one overlooks an itsy bit of mediocrity. If You are a Progressive rock fanatic or a progressive metal aficionado, this is an essential album. It's a lttle of what your used to but it's also way different. I haven't dealt with the lyrics much because in a way they are insignificant to the music. They tend to deal with corruption and incompetence in government.

OSI is a side project of Dream Theater's long time drummer, Mike Portny and former DT Keyboardist (now with Chroma Key) Kevin Moore. The music they perform is a wonderful confluence of murky atmospheric progressive rock and driving boisterous progressive heavy metal. Sounds scary doesn't it? Well don't worry, it's wonderful. In addition to Portny and Moore, we have Fates Warning Guitarist, Jim Matheos, whose idea it was for this production, Bassist, Sean Malone (Gordian Knot, Chroma Key) and guest singer Porcupine Tree's Steve Wilson on track seven - "Shutdown". Wilson also wrote the lyrics for the unique "Shutdown", which comprises both styles in the same song All outer vocals were competently handled by Moore. Not surprisingly, three of the ten songs on disc 1 are instrumentals and vocals are somewhat sparse in the others (except "Shutdown"). On disc 2 two of the three songs are virtual instrumentals. On many of the songs there are voice samples, some from famous people like Dan Rather and President Bush. On "New Mama" on disc two there are several clips of dialogue from "Rambo - First Blood". Special effects are also utilized in some songs, though sparingly.

Highlight Songs

"The New Math" (instrumental) For me "The New Math" has a strong Dream Theater flavor. Not surprising considering the roots of the drummer and keyboard player. This is Heavy Progressive Metal plain and simple. This song has voice samples of Dan Rather throughout and doesn't miss a beat as it segues into "OSI", the same song, same melody, the same beat but with light vocals added. In fact Moore's vocals are so mellow and lacking emotion that they remind me of Steve Miller.

"Head" starts out fairly mild, though with heavy guitar accents but it also has an industrial essence and does in fact sound like a Tool or Deadsoul Tribe song throughout. It goes back and forth then ends as it starts.

"Shutdown" This ten plus minute number is the song that Steve Wilson guests on. It resembles "Head" somewhat with the first half is strongly atmospheric and mellow with a couple heavy guitar interludes. Wilson's vocals are certainly more emotive than Moores and Moores backs the vocals with melancholy synth harmonies. The second half is like a different song with heavy Tool sounding guitars and bass, drums too in a semi Eastern refrain!

"Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun" Yes I know, this nine minute track sounds awfully Floydian. Know why? It was written by Roger Waters and originally recorded by Pink Floyd in 1979. I would call this space rock in the style of Hawkwind but with some obvious Middle Eastern Seasoning. A very ethereal moody piece.

"The Thing That Never Was" is a seventeen minute Progressive masterpiece. It is an instrumental and there is enough variety to keep it interesting the whole way. It begins with a lone acoustic leading to a psychedelic/organ type keyboard intro into a Heavy Rhythm - Guitar/Bass/drum - tirade reminiscent of DT's "6:00" leading into about five minutes of superb progressive metal, breaking off @ the seven minute mark for a dose of a extremely pleasant ethereal almost bell sounding interlude per Moore's Keyboards. At the twelve minute mark we're back to the progressive metal mode and the explosive finale.

Conclusion

If you don't buy the Limited Edition version of this you don't get the twenty eight minute killer bonus disc with three great Progressive songs plus a twenty minute behind the scenes video documentary. Usually I don't feel bonus tracks or bonus CDs are worth while but this one is a Grande exception. You've got to fly Limited Edition on this'un.

Yes there are a couple so so tracks but the preponderance of the music is exciting and so fresh that one overlooks an itsy bit of mediocrity. If You are a Progressive rock fanatic or a progressive metal aficionado, this is an essential album. It's a lttle of what your used to but it's also way different. I haven't dealt with the lyrics much because in a way they are insignificant to the music. They tend to deal with corruption and incompetence in government.

I've kind of lost track of Kevin Moore since his departure from Dream Theater. I've heard some of his work with Fates Warning (which is quite good), but I haven't really listened to Chroma Key, and as such DT's original keyboardist seemed to drop off the the face of the earth for me. However, with the purchase of this disc, I can see that this man's creative juices are indeed still flowing.

As if it needs to be said again, OSI is a side project featuring Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy, Fates Warning's Jim Matheos, Gordian Knot's Sean Malone, and the aforementioned Kevin Moore. The overall sound of the band is very interesting, and somewhat difficult to describe. A lot of the riffs and guitar tone are very reminiscent of DT, but this is a very different style of music from that band. There is much less emphasis on technical bombast, and more on making laid-back, atmospheric prog. In fact, there is not a single guitar solo to be found on this entire album. While this may be disappointing for some, the band still makes some great music, and (for the most part) keeps it interesting. There are also a lot of techno/electronic elements, bringing bands like Radiohead and even Nine Inch Nails to mind. Combine that with a prevalent spacey Pink Floyd feel, and you've got some pretty eclectic music.

As far as the songwriting goes, this is definitely Kevin Moore. He has always been known as a very tasteful musician, and as I mentioned before, that is what this whole thing is about: taste. Even Mike's drumming is a lot more restrained than usual (although he still cuts loose every now and then. I'm not sure he's capable of holding back completely). The music is very dark and gritty, and the lyrics are bleak and cryptic. They're different from the stuff he used to write for DT, though. A lot of the lyrics kind of remind me of Radiohead, and even a bit of Roger Waters. "When You're Ready" especially sounds like something Waters could have done. "ShutDOWN" (featuring none other than the great Steven Wilson on lead vocals) has a very Radiohead-like feel, and would have fit in nicely on "OK Computer". Make no mistake, there's still plenty of heaviness here, though. "The New Math" and the title track make for a thunderous intro to the album, sounding much like DT in their heavier moments. "Head" is a definite highlight for me. Very techno-ish feel, combined with heavy riffs and catchy vocals. The closing track, "Standby (Looks Like Rain)", is certainly worth a mention as well. Great ballad, with some of Kevin's best vocals. Nice way to end the album.

With the digipack, you get a bonus disc with three extra songs, and interestingly enough, they're some of my favorite ones here. It starts off with a great cover of Pink Floyd's "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun". Very faithful to the original, with a few nicely done embellishments from Mike (like I said, you can't expect him to lay back the whole time, can you?). "New Mama" is a short acoustic ballad, which sort of reminds me of Yes. Not a lot to it, but still a good song. The third and last song is the best yet. "The Thing That Never Was", a gripping 17-minute instrumental that sounds a lot like Liquid Tension Experiment, had Kevin played with them rather than Jordan. It's am amazing and well-composed song, which interestingly enough features no shredding or "self-indulgence" of any kind. It's a perfect balance of stunning musicianship and focused songwriting. Make sure you get the version that has this disc, it's unquestionably worth it.

Alright, we've discussed the good, now let's focus on the bad. While this is a very good and well-made album, I really think it could have been much better. A lot of the songs, while good, are too short and aren't really allowed to go where they potentially could, and I'm left thinking that the album is a bit incomplete. It's obvious that these guys are all used to writing long compositions, and haven't quite mastered the art of compacting an epic feel into a short song. I think if they make a second album, they should work on this a bit. If so, it'll turn out great, but they need just a little bit of practice in being succinct. Either that, or just write longer songs. I mean, it's what they're good at anyway. As for the lack of guitar solos, while I couldn't help but notice it (being that it is a prog album after all), it really didn't bother me. The music is still very well-played, and the talent of the musicians is fully evident.

Another mild complaint is that Kevin's vocals can be a bit weak in some spots, and even kind of annoying. While he does have a fairly decent-sounding voice, and sounds really good in some parts, he has a very narrow range, leaving much of his vocal delivery a bit droning and repetitious. This is especially evident when compared to Wilson's vocals on "ShutDOWN". I kinda wish they'd just had him sing on the whole thing. But, oh well. He's really not that bad, and as I said, there are a few parts where he sounds really good.

Anyway, while this isn't the best album ever, it is still a very interesting project, that's more than worth checking out. I think there is definite room for improvement, and I really hope they continue to work together to make said improvements. The album might be a bit different from what many expect, but if you keep an open mind, you should be able to enjoy it. At the very least, it's probably a change of pace from what you normally listen to.