Review Summary: While very raw, 'Winter in Suburbia' is a perfect example of how something so very simple can be transformed into a masterpiece, a truly wonderful display of raw emotion.
Ah Ezekiel Ox,
Most know him as the pissed off, rapping and generally hyperactive front man of the now defunct groove metallers Full Scale and current funk/hard rock heros Mammal. For years he has had the reputation as being one of Australia’s most charismatic vocalists, he is also one of, if not the most talented. However, unbeknown to all but just a few of his most avid fans, he does in fact have a soft, emotional side and when it is put to use, the results are sublime.
Enter
Winter In Suburbia.....
In 2003, just as Ox’s main band at the time, Full Scale, were making it big in Australia,
Winter In Suburbia was released. A collection of raw, acoustic recordings Ox had written over the years as an escape from the heavy metal of Full Scale,
Winter in Suburbia is an emotional journey filled with heartfelt vocals and soothing acoustic guitar melodies.
A picked acoustic guitar leads into ‘Cancer’, the EP’s first and best track. ‘Cancer’ makes it immediately obvious to the listener that this is indeed a very different beast to Ox’s other works, with the opening lyric,
“I’m not here to save the day, to be your hero, don’t you know that it’s not my style” a far cry from the rage of Mammal’s ‘Think’ or Full Scale’s ‘Empty Texas’. ‘Cancer’ is the perfect way to begin the EP, shedding a completely new light on Ox, with the strummed chords serving as the perfect background for his depressed, emotional cries
“If you try taking my chances, you stop being my cancer”. Such is the power of ‘Cancer’; it alone justifies the purchase of this entire EP.
The more upbeat ‘22 Years’ perfectly juxtaposes ‘Cancer’s depression, somewhat telling Ox’s life story up to the point of writing. The chorus provides what is one of the more catchy moments of the EP, with Ox proclaiming
“I nearly cried ‘cos i made you happy for one day, 22 years is a long time to wait to fly”. This trend continues for ‘Machines’, another upbeat track this time with Ox providing a faster paced song when compared to the previous two tracks. ‘Machines’ also sees Ox move back to the political content so well covered by his other works.
Ezekiel Ox is well known for his collaborations with other artists, both live and in the studio, so it comes as no surprise when after the strummed intro to ‘The Bottle’, Clint Boge of The Butterfly Effect takes lead, with Ox doing backing vocals. Coming in at just over two minutes, ‘The Bottle’ is actually the least simple of all the tracks with a harmonica and Ox’s vocals providing the perfect backup for Boge’s beautiful clean vocals in what is another standout track of the EP.
Trained in opera and musical theatre,
Winter in Suburbia is the perfect medium for Ox to utilise his cleaner, more refined vocals, particularly in ‘My Voice, My Friend’ and ‘Blind Man’. ‘Blind Man’ also brings Ox’s lyrical content to the fore in one of the more beautiful moments on the record:
“There’s a Blind Man by the river,
There’s a child sittin’ next to him,
Taking in all he can, an unspoken understanding,
There’s a blind man by the river, he’s just like me”.
Combined with Ox’s tortured vocals, ‘Blind Man’ as well as ‘Cancer’ and ‘The Bottle’ is the standout song on what is an amazing record. The final track, ‘Winter in Suburbia’ is again a faster, upbeat track, with an abrupt finish before the listener realises it’s all gone.
Clocking in at only just less than 22 minutes,
Winter in Suburbia is quite short for a seven track record but that takes nothing away from its brilliance. Only two hundred copies were ever released which is a crime in itself, but if you can get your hands on a copy of this EP you will not be disappointed. While very raw,
Winter in Suburbia is a perfect example of how something so very simple can be transformed into a masterpiece, a truly wonderful display of raw emotion.
. No worries, i particularly reccomend his set at the Tote, its just him and a guitar, amazing set. There is a chance, just a very small one, ive been looking for a hard copy for about a year now all over Melbourne. I can probs send you a link to download it though if you want.
