Chinese progressive metal band Ou (pronunced “O”) is set to unleash their sophomore album, 蘇醒 II: Frailty, on 26th April via InsideOutMusic – And it’s been co-produced, mixed and features Devin Townsend who appears on their latest single, ‘淨化 Purge’, that’s out now.
The band commented that: “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.
