Osyron: Harbinger Review: More Misses Than Hits

Earlier this year, a three-piece Canadian based metal band Osyron released their debut album, Harbinger- the first of a three album trilogy with a Rip Van Winkle-esque concept. Despite showcasing a multiverse of influences ranging from every type of metal genre, it is that reason that Harbinger misses slightly more than it hits.

In other words: because there are more ingredients than the recipe calls for, the cake is average at best.

The first three songs “Visions”, “Dormant Insurrection” and “Becoming the Omen” are Fear Factory meets Dream Theater. The guitars, drums and keyboards are chuggy, precise and flavorful. The vocals even sound like Burton C. Bell. It sounds interesting and works in itself.

Then Harbinger decides to become a power metal album.

For the next two songs, “Gallery of Fools” and “Lifting the Veil.” These are the two most radio friendly of the album and are reminiscent of Blind Guardian and Helloween. It’s fun. Its power metal. It also works, but there is a problem. The album has suddenly switched genres. The only constant has been the keyboard, but the fun doesn’t stop there.
The next song, “Going Under” is a thrash metal song.

“Going Under” is cool. It’s thrashy, and it sounds a lot like newer Testament; but this is not the impression the first three songs left on us. The album has switched genres again. There is no trace of the original sounds we started with besides the chugging of the guitars, which seem to also sound different. It is also the only song on the album that sounds like this.
The three songs that follow slowly return to power metal. “Ruination” is a nice ballad while “Silent Judgment” is a slow building seven minute power metal fixture of triumph. Both feature folky acoustic parts that help bridge the gap of the sound Osyron appear to be looking for. “A Return” is another ballad that sounds good, but also seems uninspired at times. The solos are breaths of fresh air, but the rest of the song just appears to be going through the motions for the most part.

“Facing Fate” is the longest and by far the weirdest song on the album. It begins its build of thrash/power metal , becomes a ballad, becomes progressive metal, has a 20 second death metal part at random and then decides to convert back to progressive metal – and that all happens in 2 minutes. It then goes back and forth between being a ballad, progressive and power metal for the duration of the nearly nine minute piece. This is a mess. The vocal style suffers immensely because of the consistent change of genre.

The final song “Prosperity” does not do “Facing Fate” any favors. It too tends to bounce around from power, thrash, and ballad all in lather, rinse, repeat fashion. It’s not as rough as “Facing Fate” but by the end the album is over, the listener is going to have a headache and be confused as to what they just invested roughly an hour of their time in.

While there are elements of Harbinger that work, Osyron just doesn’t seem to know what kind of music they want to play. Despite being talented musicians, the overall product falls flat because of all their influences taking too big of a role in their dynamic. By the end of the album, one feels like every influence possible is being stuffed into the music just because it can. The album changes genres so many times it’s impossible for anyone to be fully satisfied with anything. Labeling the music as “progressive” does not mean anything goes. The best songs on Harbinger are the first three because they all have the same elements and influences being heard. They are also the most simple. Every musician’s talents are showcased evenly and in the best way possible in only those first three songs. By the end of the album Osyron sounds like a band arguing over everything instead of working together. Perhaps for part two of this trilogy, they will decide what kind of a band they want to be and reach their full potential.