Oak
Demo
self-released

This down-tempo post-metal lark is really getting tired now. Mention of a new band in the genre always sparks a bit of interest in the hope that someone is going to bring something new and exciting to the table. That rarely happens, however, and the story is no different with Sweden's Oak. The four tracks on offer here are melodic, overdriven and ponderous with so little in the way of vocals that it could almost be classified as instrumental. Musically, it's well executed; creatively, it's not great at all. It's like Isis without the ingenuity, Switchblade without the dirt, and Red Sparowes without the atmosphere. In that respect, Oak find themselves well behind the times and, if they endeavour to make a mark in the scene, really need to rethink their strategy before releasing future material.
- John Norby