For Sweden’s Black Oak, their debut full length has been a long time in the making. The progressive metal band released a self-titled EP way back in 2010 and have been steadily working on their debut ever since. If you browse their Facebook page you’ll see sporadic updates from the past decade, and finally some thirteen years later the finished effort Egolution is out for listeners to take in. Compared to other progressive metal out there, Black Oak is a bit harder to pin down genre wise, capturing some of the heaviness and emotional weight of post metal alongside a healthy dose of post hardcore and metalcore influenced riffing. While some moments overstay their welcome and not every song truly stands out, there’s still a lot to like about what the band has accomplished here and hopefully they can continue to grow off this solid foundation.
Even early on it’s difficult to pin Egolution down, as opener “Epilog” kicks things off with softer, shimmering melodies and effects that give off a more electronic vibe, ultimately leading into some heavy, chugging riffs on “Trauma”. I appreciate how the album flows outwards and captures so much depth on both the heavy and melodic side of the spectrum, as the material spends just as much time on somber, introspective textures as it does hitting you with more destructive riffing. Where progressive metal tends to overlap with djent these days, Black Oak’s approach sidesteps this in favor of using the progressive approach for regularly shifting song structures. The way some of the songs sprawl outwards sometimes gives off hints of mid-period Opeth alongside the more methodical build-ups of post metal, but there’s even more happening beneath the surface. Tracks like “Collapse” and “Doubt” remind me more of 2000s metalcore and post hardcore with even some alternative rock baked into the melodies, and the band manages to pull this diverse set of styles off in a way that feels fluid and natural. “Conflict” is a great example of this, as it draws you in with much softer instrumentation that has more of a post rock feel before exploding into some metalcore style riffs. There are a few areas where the group can continue to grow, as the interplay between mellow and harsh starts to feel a little familiar by the end and the two closing tracks are too stretched out. That’s not to say they don’t have some strong moments, but the seven- and eight-minute build-ups meander a bit too long and don’t quite justify their lengths.
Samuéla Burenstrand provides a wide range of vocals on Egolution, providing harsher screams, growls as well as clean singing that often soars into the stratosphere. You’re likely to see Black Oak generate some comparisons to Spiritbox in this regard, though Burenstrand has a different range and it sounds like she’s pulling from other musical influences throughout the album. “Trauma” shows off her harsher capabilities first, which channel a lot of metalcore and post hardcore to my ears, but once the singing takes over it has more of an alternative rock vibe. Sometimes the singing adopts a more ethereal tone, while other songs find it coming across as a bit more direct and in your face, as though to match the same energy as the screaming. The performance is strong throughout, and it’s clear that Black Oak is capitalizing on how much range their frontwoman can bring to the table.
Thirteen years is a long time between releases, but Black Oak has clearly put that time to good use. Their approach to progressive metal and metalcore/post hardcore has some strong hooks and feels a bit more unique compared to some of the others in the genre, giving listeners plenty to discover over time. I do think that some of the transitions from melodic into harsher riffs starts to fall into some patterns by the end, and the group hasn’t quite reached the point to justify the longer track lengths that close things out just yet, giving them some additional room for refinement. But this is a solid foundation with a lot to offer, and here’s hoping it won’t be another decade to see how they can build on it.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
