Owl Company is a band from São Paulo, Brazil that combines hard rock influences from the 70s to the 90s with modern rage and brutality, creating a sound that is fresh, aggressive, and engaging. Launched in 2015 the band has built a strong presence in São Paulo, playing all the premier venues in town. Their first single “Condescend,” quickly grabbed attention locally and now the band is setting its sights on crashing international borders. Owl Company’s chosen vehicle to get them where they need to be going is their full-length debut album “Horizon”, set to drop July 14th 2017. The release of the album will be followed by tours of the USA and Europe, introducing Felipe Ruiz (Guitars), Enrico Minelli (Vocals), Fabio Yamamoto (Bass) and Thiago Biasoli (Drums) to the world’s hard rock sanctuaries.
Once every year two, I pick up an album that is so good it dominates my music preference for weeks or even months on end because it’s so captivating, and nearly every song is a gem. “Horizon” is one of those albums.
Right from the beginning, you know this album is going make you want to wreck your neck. Opening with the blistering track “Celebrate and Kneel” which comes just after the intro, and then just not stopping until track 4, where they blindside you with the Blues infested “Riddles”.
In between, the first three tracks are masterpieces of the hard-rock genre, especially the steady pounding rhythm and roaring vocal on “Ain’t Time For This”. This album is laced with monstrous compositions creating the perfect brooding atmosphere to match the emotional content of the lyrics.
This emerges brilliantly on “Black n’ Blue” and “Bullet Proof Innocence”, where again Enrico Minelli forges his blow torch vocals. But these tracks also provide the backdrop for drummer Thiago Biasoli to carve out blistering rhythms and rolls.
There is no possible way that Minelli can be accused of being a one-dimensional or even two-dimensional rock singer, as “Caged Emotions” takes into the 3rd dimension. This is probably his best performance on the entire album.
Adding more rasp and grit to his singing, while incorporating throat-lacerating roars, he stays true to form with an emotionally-charged, breathtaking performance from start to finish. Owl Company has tapped into its full potential on “Horizon”, and it really shows when the album is heard in order, from beginning to end.
And just in case you didn’t pay attention before, grab a load of Felipe Ruiz’s guitar riffs and solo, as well as Fabio Yamamoto’s basslines on “Underdog”. Both are at the top of their game here, but they make just as much of an impression on “Deathrow”.
Owl Company is capable of moving through face-melting anthems, into intensely groovy rock levels which burst in and out from melodic to chaotic inflammation. It’s pure and rough rock n’ roll, with well written lyrics that express inner thoughts and rebellion, to which the band adds soaring, catchy choruses together with the crunching riffs and grinding rhythms all deftly laid down.
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