Review Summary: Onward To Olympas have made a highly enjoyable album that any fan of the genre will be able to listen to. The vocals, lyrics, and musicianship propels the album and keeps the listener’s attention until the very end.
Artist: Onward To Olympas
Album: This World Is Not My Home
Label: Facedown Records
Release Date: January 19, 2010
Rating: 3.5/5
RIYL: Metalcore,
Texas In July
Let's first get the selected spelling cleared up, as some reviews and listeners have not been able to get past it. Olympas means heavenly and is also a Roman Christian whom Paul of Tarsus salutes in Romans 16:15. The band has stated this as a fact in an interview conducted on RadioU. Now that that is out of the way, let us get to who Onward To Olympas is and why you should you know them. The band formed in 2008 and has quickly climbed their way up the ranks. Before the start of 2010, Onward To Olympas had released an EP, recorded a professional full-length with Jamie King, and were signed to Facedown Records because of said recording with Jamie King.
This World Is Not My Home saw its release on January 19th. So what does this album sound like?
Well quite frankly, it sounds like Onward To Olympas doing what they do best. They play entertaining generic metalcore. Please note that while this record can be classified as generic, its entertainment and musicianship balances everything out. There are no filler tracks to be found on this record; however, some tracks standout above the rest. The top three standout tracks are “Unstoppable,” “Sink Or Swim,” and “This World Is Not My Home”; however, the whole album is solid enough where “Unstoppable” could be replaced with any other track at any point in time. With that said, “Unstoppable” is the album opener and sets down the bands hand right from the beginning. You are going to have your growl verses, clean singing choruses, and breakdowns. The formula is time tested and appears to continue to work.
The band members, however, have the musicianship to keep the listener interested. The guitarists have written some great riffs, leads, and breakdowns. “Her Best Words Were Goodbye” also features a solo that is very technical but also fits in well with the rest of the song. The main guitar showcase on the album are the riffs and leads, and they are all different yet similar. This coupled with the drums keeps each track from sounding like the one before or after it. The drummer is very talented and knows how to use his whole set. He does not over rely on one part of the set, and that is very helpful in keeping the listener's attention. We now get to the feature attraction…
The vocals on this album are some of the best I have heard so far this year. Kramer Lowe’s growls are very powerful and are one of the biggest reasons why this album is as good as it is. Justin Gage’s singing is a bit of an acquired taste, some may say he is too whiney and/or monotone. While the listener may agree he should diversify his singing some, his voice is not too whiney. Granted his singing is right on the line, he is very effective at not crossing the line and it works for him and the band. The vocals and lyrics make the album very memorable and after two listens, you will know the choruses to “Sink Or Swim” and “This World Is Not My Home” guaranteed or your money back. Okay, maybe not, but you get the point. The album is so catchy that if you are not singing alone, you are doing it wrong.
Even with the album being generic and the singing being monotone in some places, Onward To Olympas have made a highly enjoyable album that any fan of the genre will be able to listen to. The vocals, lyrics, and musicianship propels the album and keeps the listener’s attention until the very end.
