For those not familiar with Ancient Greece, the word ostraka will say very little. As a linguist and author, I know where it comes from very well. Ostraka is a Greek word that refers to a potshred used for voting in Classical Greek times. And here’s where it gets interesting … or rather, here’s where the grunge comes in … these votes were cast, not to elect someone for public office but rather, to banish a person from his or her community. It’s a very fitting name for a Scottish rock group that sounds angry and is full of bravado.
Ostraka’s debut album is divided into two parts. The first four tracks are polished studio cuts while tracks five through eight are live recordings (albeit captured in the studio environment). It’s an impressive undertaking, not dissimilar to Guns N’ Roses’ ”Lies” EP from nearly forty years ago. Has it been that long since 1988? Time flies, doesn't it?
Releasing studio and live recordings back to back is a gutsy move, but Ostraka pulls it off famously. While the live tracks give a good impression of the kind of energy you get if you buy a ticket to see the outfit live, it’s the studio recordings that stop you in your tracks as you realize the skill, creativity and artistic potential Ostraka has and even more importantly, take in their absolutely stunning songwriting.
The studio tracks come first. “All The Love In The World” oozes confidence. The caesuras (sudden stops) in the verses work truly well for dramatic effect and the powerful chorus, reminiscent of what Creed might have gone for on their first album, sticks in your head. Also, check out the very end of the track where the band throws in everything they’ve got and goes for a short rave. It’s fantastic! “Nothing Left To Kill” features some incredible drumming. The quick, Keith Moon-like rolls that decorate the chorus are something else enirely. It’s another great grunge track that leaves you breathless. The Led Zeppelin influenced“Eating Leeches” has the best guitars on the album. It’s my favourite track on “Magistri”, one of those tunes that you keep retuning to because it’s just so damn good. The melody, the way the bass and the guitars are woven together and the punkish vocals are all brilliant stuff. “Always Lost” with its “Oh God there must be something better” hook and the Faith No More inspired chainsaw guitars in the instrumental break would have been radio gold in the nineties. It’s a truly fantastic track, and the one I’d release as the lead single if I were the band’s label rep.
The live cuts continue the same level of quality both in playing and in songwriting as the studio offerings. “Timeworn” pierces through you with its intense vocal melody and thundering guitars while“Sidescroller” offers some pretty awesome bass playing and intriguing syncopation. The machine-gun guitars in “Ten” will break your ribs and the album closer “Ritual” is an awe-inspiring track with an epic feel to it, injecting you with exciting lyrics, compelling vocal melodies and fabulous guitars that once again pay homage to Jimmy Page and the boys.
“Magistri” is a hard rock album through and through but not your usual run-of-the-mill heavy record. On the contrary, it’s creative, melodic, intriguing, well-arranged, experimental, innovative and intellectual, which makes it stand out in a genre that’s plagued by mediocracy.
If hard rock is your thing, you need to hear "Magistri". You’ll love it.
Listen here: “Magistri”
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Review by staff at MBTM
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