EP Review – ‘Antique Lands: OER Live at ArcTangent’ by Only Echoes Remain

Antique Lands: OER Live at ArcTanGent is the first official release of new material since Only Echoes Remain’s 2017 debut The Exigent, and features several live versions of new songs that will eventually feature on the band’s sophomore studio album (due next year), as well as a powerful version of Exigent ‘fan-favourite’ Aurora.  

Guitarist Arran Oakes told me, “The significance for us is that, being the first official release since the album, it’s a big statement for us since we think we’ve evolved quite a lot musically/compositionally since writing the Exigent over 2016/17. If the Exigent was more post-rock with some prog tinges, our new material is a lot more progressive, with much more elements of post-metal and math-rock, while still retaining those signature OER moments of reflection and euphoria that does tend to come with post-rock. I don’t think we’d call ourselves a post-rock band any more though, definitely more contemporary prog with post-metal influences.”

Following on from the sweeping, monstrous soundscapes and riffs of The Exigent, the new material shows an increasing maturity from this intelligent, thought provoking band.

With as many crushing guitars and riffs as moments of blissful euphoria, the new material demonstrates that OER have picked up the baton from their debut album The Exigent and truly run with it, honing their sound to a tighter, more progressive and more explosive peak.

Their sound on this record is a welcome evolution from the more traditional post-rock of The Exigent, now being far more in-your-face and compositionally diverse – contemporary prog with more than a little post-metal thrown in for good measure, while still retaining those moments of calm melodic euphoria from their post-rock roots.

That’s not to take away from an utterly blistering live version of perennial favourite Aurora which literally raises the roof but the brooding genius of recent single Monolith certainly showcases their sophisticated development, along with the dark and delicious I Am Ozymandias and the pulsating, hard-edged post-rock of Eclipse, another song that fans are sure to take to their hearts.

It all augurs well for Only Echoes Remain’s forthcoming second album, due in 2020. It’s certainly a release I am really looking forward to!

Released 24th May 2019

Order the EP from: https://onlyechoesremain.bandcamp.com/album/antique-lands-oer-live-at-arctangent

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