Odetosun is a progressive metal act out of Augsburg, Germany. If you were looking for some variety, you've found it. In just four different tracks, The Dark Dunes of Titan showcases everything from the opening proggy jam fest to delightfully heavy death metal. "At the Shore of the Ammonia Sea" is 10 minutes of light and Coheedish progressive rock. It lulls one into a falls sense of security. But suddenly things go all Opeth with "Machine Horizon"'s death vocals and much more foreboding tone.
But despite the great shift in style, the transition is surprisingly seamless, and both are extremely well-played. There are some great hammer-on and pull-off hooks, use of layering, and atmospheric synths filling out the sound. Overall, the music is super engrossing and stays so through use of movements. Songs will dip back into acoustic guitar overlayed with spacey leads between the heavier parts. There's a point where the bass guitar takes over to combine with some ethereal keys that is just wonderful.
The album is an ever-changing palette of sounds that continues to flow very organically from moment to moment. Odetosun are certainly ahead of the curve when it comes to creating moody instrumentals filled to the brim with interlocking arrangements of all instruments. In addition to the excellent guitars and vocals, the drum work is extremely varied and always manages to do just what is necessary to suit the given situation; from the more heavy-hitting patterns to a softer, jazzier approach.
Finally, the production wraps everything up in a nice package. The Dark Dunes of Titan has just the right level of rawness, allowing all of the great instrumentation to occupy plenty of space in the mix without becoming muddled or unbalanced. The results are very impressive and excite me for this band's future. You can check out the album stream below and purchase a digital copy for the price of your choosing. Be sure to also give a listen to their previous album, which is equally strong and has shades of early Dark Tranquillity and Rotting Christ.