O.Y.D. – ‘Indigo’: Powerful, melodic and metal

The O.Y.D. are making a powerful comeback with a new album. After the single 'Bring them to Justice', which was inspired by George Floyd, the band from Kalamata announced their record, titled 'Indigo‘.

It all began in 2012

The O.Y.D. first formed as a band in early 2012. After some changes in members but also in their musical style, they reached a point where they set out to release their first album. So, in November 2014 they made their discographic debut recording at Sound Emporium Studios, in Nashville, Tennessee, the "Deep Breath” with producer, the 2-time Grammy holder Toby Wright (Metallica, Korn, Slayer). The producer is behind the mixing, mastering and production of the record.

Influenced by names of very different styles from one another, O.Y.D moved through a puzzle of sounds that blends modern hard metal with more melodic forms, and on the record one can make out traces ranging from System of a down to Alice in chains. Shortly after returning to Greece, contact was made with the American company “Pavement Entertainment”, which resulted in a collaboration aimed at promoting the album.

From Nashville to Gothenburg

The passage of time forced the band into some changes to its lineup. Various appearances at live shows and festivals followed, both in Greece and abroad, and since then, with the current lineup, they started composing again with the addition of keyboards and samples. The O.Y.D. have played live with major Greek names, like 1000mods or Nightstalker, but also international acts like Comeback Kid.

2018 found O.Y.D. making their second attempt at a recording, one that would once again be marked by a high standard, which brought them to Sweden and to Fredman Studios (Facebook), in Gothenburg. This time at the helm of production and engineering would be Fredrik Nordstrom (Architects, Bring Me The Horizon, Arch Enemy), who is responsible for the so-called “Gothenburg sound” and whose technique in heavy sound has become the go-to reference for any engineer seeking a result full of volume and heft.

Special mention should be made of the album's artwork, which this time is influenced by noir films of the '50s. It was commissioned and designed by a graphic artist based in Chicago who specializes in the field. That vertigo effect it creates gives us a hint of a journey into music that makes your head spin!

Music that stirs things up

“Indigo” is their second album, self-released in March 2019. On it, the band chose to move in a more aggressive direction and with a more compact character compositionally. The tempos increased, while always keeping the shifts in the writing that they want to define them musically. Nowadays the influences have to do with more modern heavy sound, but without lacking the element of surprise or references to genres that have nothing to do with heavy sound.

‘Indigo‘ is a very distinctive album. It's certainly a big challenge to pin it down under a specific style. Perhaps the best we could do would be to place it under the big umbrella of modern metal. The music is certainly very distinctive! The rhythm section gives and takes with Giorgos and Charis, support the tracks on bass and drums respectively, filling them up with lots of different variations. 

On the other hand, Nikos and Stavros, offer a 'thick' layer of distorted sound on guitar and keys, creating two different dimensions. One metal and one much more atmospheric and, why not, one might say Scandinavian! Finally, Orestis (but also Stavros) on vocals, indulge in alternating between melodic and growly vocals. These specific vocal shifts are exactly what creates the diversity of 'Indigo‘.

Editor's Choice: 'Nanohopes'

The track that stood out to our ears from 'Indigo' is 'Nanohopes'. Its 'catchy' intro riff will stick in your head, while the vocals are very dark. At the same time, from a musical standpoint, it's a very technical track. Enjoy it!

O.Y.D. are made up of:

Orestis Alimonos – Vocals

George Manesiotis – Bass Guitar

Nikos Koumoundouros – Guitar

Stavros Tsotras – Keys / Samples / Backing Vocals

Haris Kolozis – Drums

The record's distribution was handled by Vinyl Monster and Ikaros Records.

'Indigo' puts O.Y.D. on the metal map

It's clear that O.Y.D. are a band with concerns, both musical and social (see 'Bring Them to Justice'). 'Indigo' is a record that has it all. On one hand, the production of the album is very beautiful and the final sound that reaches our ears is exceptionally high-quality. On the other hand, the members' technical skill is very high. The music on the record can in no way be called simple, since polyrhythms in the beats and variety in the melodies make the tracks very distinctive.

At the same time, 'Indigo' isn't difficult to listen to or tiring. On the contrary, it's a record with a powerful sound that follows all the hallmarks of modern metal.

Wrapping up, I'd like to highlight the band's attitude when it comes to chasing the best possible result. This particular pursuit took them from Kalamata to Nashville (for the first record) and from there to Sweden! Either way, the result vindicates them and offers us one of the most powerful metal experiences around.