Chinese progressive metal band Ou (pronunced “O”) has released their sophomore album, 蘇醒 II: Frailty, via InsideOutMusic, and with it new single and video ‘輪迴 Reborn’.
Commenting on the new single the band said: ‘輪迴 Reborn’ is probably the most vulnerable song of Ou to date. It’s also one of Lynn’s favourite songs off our second album. The music of Ou goes where it wants to go, and this song happened to go in a direction with some pop sensibilities, which in context with the rest of the album sounds really fresh to our ears.”
Drummer Anthony Vanacore added: “From writing and arranging, recording and editing, to mixing, producing and mastering, Ou’s second album encompassed probably somewhere around the 1500-2000 hour mark to make a reality. As with the first album, it goes into a lot of uncharted territory where many times you just have to take that leap of faith during the process of creation.
“Working with Devin Townsend was one of the great honours of my life, I learned a lot from him, gained a lot of inspiration from his brilliance, and will always be grateful for the time and care he put into this. Thank you, Devin. I would also like to thank InsideOutMusic for supporting such an album that breaks almost all conventions and thank all the people that support the music of Ou. We hope the music finds those who will resonate with it!”
The album was co-produced, mixed and featured Devin Townsend, who appeared on their previous single, ‘淨化 Purge’, about which the band commented: “The song was written as a kind of brutal meditation, for added power we asked Devin if he would be willing to sing his first song in Chinese along with Lynn, thankfully he was down, and the result is quite astonishing.”
Townsend himself said: “As I age, I find myself growing easily bored with new music, which is disappointing as a music fan. Despite being very busy, mutual circumstances aligned myself and the band Ou. I appreciate this connection, as their music is exceptionally well executed and interesting to me. I am pleased to have been involved with something refreshing like this.” Available digitally, you can check out their video here at RAMzine.
Hailing from Beijing, China, Ou released their debut album in 2022, fusing metal, electronica, ambient textures, and captivating melodies to global admiration. Last year, Lynn Wu (Vocals), Anthony Vanacore (Drums), Jing Zhang (Guitars) and Chris Cui (Bass) they began working on the new album, commenting: We were honoured to have the privilege on working with the mighty Devin Townsend to produce this album in order to further explore and enhance our sound, working to provide a sonic adventure for you all.”
The album promises to “push boundaries even further”, as prog fans are invited to enter a realm of sound that challenges the very definition of the genre itself.
Previously they released the title track as a single, and you can stream that here and check out the video here at RAMzine.
Commenting on that release the band commented: “Ou is back! Life unfolds, drop by drop, a fleeting thread in the ticking dance of time. A brief bloom, a withered leaf, breathing in the rhythm of day and night. The river of life, a pale countdown, flowing soil beneath the dreamy sky. Pieces fall, growing without words, returning to the dust. The flower of life bears its fruit, lost in the vast expanse. A poignant journey, from bloom to disappearance, echoing the eternal tick tock of existence. The debut offering ‘蘇醒 Frailty’ from our new album OU – 蘇醒 II: Frailty has arrived, and we’re excited to share it with you all.”
Tracks featured on 蘇醒II: Frailty are: ‘Frailty’, ‘Purge’, ‘Ocean’, ‘Redemption’, ‘Capture and Elongate (Serenity)’, ‘Spirit Broken’, ‘Yyds’, ‘Reborn’ and ‘Recall’.
蘇醒II: Frailty can be ordered here. There will be will be a white-black marbled single LP 180g vinyl edition, strictly limited to only 1000 copies worldwide, plus digital copies.
