F.O.E.S.: Ophir

Artist: F.O.E.S.
Title: Ophir
Format Reviewed: MP3
Format Release: 10th February 2014
Reviewed By: Dan Stoten

Having gained some very positive press from around the UK, Liverpudlian rockers F.O.E.S. have been building and building over the last couple of months. Ophir, their latest EP, is set to be released just 13 months after the band's formation, something which really highlights the potential this band have.

So, to the EP itself. What we have here is five tracks of powerful rock music which takes elements of pretty much every rock band you've ever heard and splices them together.

Opener Sewn To The Sail & Unknown slips the listener gently into the EP, in a gentle, enticing way. The track gradually builds but does so in such an undramatic fashion that you barely notice until roughly two minutes through, when the heavier nature of F.O.E.S. comes out. Chris Mackrill's vocal is strong throughout, managing to be passionate without being aggressive, and melodic, too. It's a decent song, this, and a solid opener to the EP.

The Writing on the Wall opens in a much more complex fashion, before launching into what is an expansive, majestic song. Once again, Mackrill's vocal is gentle and enticing, and sits perfectly here with the echoing, soaring guitar. The chorus is a belter. The track also has a more aggressive backdrop, however, with that chorus being backed up by some gang-screams. Again, this is a solid track and one which keeps you listening.

The third song on the EP is the strongest by some margin. Ningyo is a haunting song, one which oozes emotion. It's very bare and pared-back, which seems to suit the band better, relying heavily on Mackrill's vocal before launching into huge slabs of post-hardcore rock music. This is a melancholic song and one which makes no aspirations otherwise: it works really well. It's simplicity is it's strength, especially when compared to the other four tracks on this EP, which, at times, perhaps try a little too hard.

Four of Oxblood is arguably the catchiest and most accessible song on the EP, with fairly simple lyrics and a generally more upbeat feel going through it. Instrumental sections again are complex, but here they flow and end the track well. Closing track The First Rook To Flee As The Thunder Rolls In is another soaring and slow to build song, but is hauntingly beautiful and exceptionally chilling. Once it does start to build, this is a song which will get your head nodding and moving: it again is a more accessible and easier to listen to song than others on this EP.

Overall, this is a solid five-track EP which showcases the genuine talent this band have. It's brooding and interesting. Ningyo is a five-star song without a doubt; but for me, there is nothing else perhaps stand-out enough here. It's early days for this band, though, and this is a very strong statement of intent on that level. Looking forward to seeing more from the band over the next year.



F.O.E.S. will be touring the UK from 22nd February - 4th March 2014 in support of Ophir, which is released on 10th February