OWLS OVER OAKS’ debut, O.O.O., hits like a slow-motion avalanche. Three tracks. No guitars. Just dual bass, deliberate drumming, and a darkness that hangs in the air long after the music stops. This is not for casual listening. You can’t put this on in the background. You don’t. You sit. You endure.
From the first rumble, the album envelops you. The dual bass lines create a low-end mass that’s impossible to ignore. Drums punctuate like distant thunder, slow and unavoidable. Repetition isn’t laziness here – it’s ritual. Each passing minute drags you deeper into a world that’s heavy, oppressive, hypnotic. O.O.O. isn’t just heard; it’s felt.
The vocals are guttural, harsh, unintelligible at times. They aren’t meant to convey words – they are another layer of the sound itself. Lost in the bass, they twist and echo through the dense mix, adding tension, unease, a subtle dread that never leaves. Analog production and James Plotkin’s mastering let every vibration breathe, every note land with a physical presence.
Recorded fully in analog, the album has a raw, alive feel. It’s organic heaviness, thick but not muddy. The low-end dominates, but the dynamics – the space between notes – makes the heaviness almost architectural. Plotkin’s touch ensures clarity without losing the crushing weight. It’s tactile. You could almost reach out and feel the vibrations.
Fans of SUNN O))), Khanate, Bong, or Burning Witch will recognize the lineage. But OWLS OVER OAKS takes it further, stripping guitars entirely, leaning into bass and drum, and making something claustrophobic and distinct. It’s ritualistic, extreme, and relentless.
If you need melodies or hooks, look elsewhere. If you want immersive, punishing, hypnotic doom that slowly gnaws at your senses, this is for you. The album demands patience and attention. It punishes the inattentive, rewards the committed.
O.O.O. is a debut that makes a statement without a word. It’s uncompromising, extreme, and unforgettable. For fans of experimental, drone-heavy doom, it is essential listening – a three-track descent into weight, darkness, and sound as ritual. It lingers. It consumes. And it stays with you.
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Released by Argonauta Records on February 27th, 2026
Music source for review – Grand Sounds PR
