Odium were introduced to me as a "melodic metal" act, which could literally mean thousands of things. Once I started listening, it felt as if this moniker was in part due to shaming of what is really happening here. Odium, we can never prove to the world that metalcore is not a term to be immediately scoffed at unless the the true professionals fly the flag at full mast. Be proud of what you are, because the fact is you do it extremely well.
These Canadians are insatiable riff monsters. After the lovely intro, "Feral Inversion" opens with an epic blast of core-infused melodeath that gets me thinking back to Serenity in Murder. Terraform is a good example of implementing clean singing while keeping the overall sound and harsh vocals just on the cusp of death metal. Melodies are strong and the placement is additive to the overall composition. Check out "Return to Form" or "Failure II" to see what I mean.
I've been reaching for a solid band comparison, but Odium keep their sound just distanced enough from their peers that no one group seems to fit perfectly. It's a combination of early Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, early August Burns Red, and Darkest Hour with just a touch of Wrvth. The outcome is a really nice union that once again gives me hope for this largely s#!t-on genre. "Dead" is a fine example of all parts of Odium's success from the bankable guitar hooks to the infectious vocals. It's also just a nice build from its quiet beginnings to the pummeling conclusion.
This is a structure that plays out quite a few times on the album, and always successfully in my opinion. Soothing piano will evolve into thrashy, spiraling riffs and well met marathons of double bass, climbing ever higher in fury before igniting a face melting solo. "Obsolete" is another example particularly worthy of mention. The progressive metal stylings towards the end is also reminiscent of our previous recommendation of Azgard. Even instrumental, "The Cell," should rip a collective new one for melodeath and core fans alike.
So to those of you who are no longer reading and clicked the back button simply upon seeing the suffix "core," you're a moron, and more importantly, you're missing out. Odium put out an all-around solid sound that works consistently through Terraform like a well-oiled machine. Check out the stream below and toss them the 10 CAD (around $7 American) to add this to your collection. Let your flag fly.