Album Review: Odyssey – The Swarm (Self Released)

Odyssey are three-piece instrumental progressive metal band comprised of Jerrick Crites (guitar) and brothers Jordan Hilker (bass) & Lukas Hilker (drums). Their new album, The Swarm will be released on May 24th 2019.

Gone are the days when instrumental didn’t mean heavy. Odyssey are instrumental and very heavy.

With the distraction of vocals removed, it’s down to the guitars and drums. No hiding; every hook, note and beat clear as day. The progressive rhythm laid bare for everyone to see.

Is it a good album? Damn right it is. Expansive rhythm, depth to the riffs and a mixture of changing directions and surprising developments to keep you on your toes. The booming percussion of opener Infestation. the speedier metal groove of The Culling and impressive trip of whining guitars, heaviness and melody that makes up Our Days Are Numbered. The first third of the album gets the head banging.

The double header of the bass led funkiness of The Calm Before and thumping guitar technicalities of The Swarm is where the album really stands up to be counted. The former flows perfectly into the other, even though they are poles apart in style. The latter’s broken and echoing beat is the highlight of the record.

The quality of the instrumental metal doesn’t drop for a moment as we get the thrilling groove of Hive Mind and the peaceful and sombre melody of Ether. Again, it flows into Perdition so smoothly it could be the same song albeit for the chunkier riffing.

A personal favourite though is the lighter and upbeat tune that is Exiled, a little bit more oddness to the guitars as they favour a cleaner sound. As is the theme of the record, it slips effortlessly into The Great Dying, the longest and most inventive sounding track on the album.

Everything great about Odyssey is in this track. A hell of a lot. Rhythmic body shaking moments, thick riffing, an adapting beat and plenty of old-school rock and metal groove. It’s not the final track, that’s the combination of light and darkness in Lapse but it certainly closes things out impressively.

Odyssey – The Swarm Full Track Listing:

1. Infestation
2. The Culling
3. Our Days Are Numbered
4. The Calm Before
5. The Swarm
6. Hive Mind
7. Ether
8. Perdition
9. Exiled
10. The Great Dying
11. Lapse

The album can be ordered via Bandcamp. More can be found out via Odyssey’s Facebook Page, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.