Release Date: November 15, 2011
Somehow Odonis Odonis ended up being labeled as a surf-rock band. Yes, if you were to listen to a few select track off their debut Hollandaze, you would get the vibe that they were a happy-go-lucky rock band that was really into noise, distortion, and abrasive instrumentals and vocals.
“Hollandaze” is probably the most surf-rock sounding track off the album, though there are a handful of songs that also fit the label like “Handle Bars” and “Ledged Up.” Odonis Odonis is from Toronto, and they probably aren’t catching many waves there. And if they were, it’d be the cold waves of the Atlantic, which would actually explain the Odonis Odonis style better than the sunny connotation surf-rock gives.
However, if you were to take a few other Odonis Odonis songs and play them out of context, you’d have an entirely different perspective of the band, and you might even consider them closer to a really angry ‘80s Goth or industrial band. Odonis’s tracks are covered in distortion and reverb; if you heard the riffs clean it’d be an entirely different album. They don’t stop there, though. Whether they know it or not, it sounds like they structure their songs similar to other ‘80s industrial bands like My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult; the songs all build up as they progress instead of floundering and repeating the same verse and chorus with different lyrics twice or three times over.
Hollandaze has its impressive moments, but they aren’t truly epic. The album is more a collection of tracks than a larger, more cohesive piece of music that goes together from song to song. But don’t think Hollandaze is a poor first LP. There is a distinct style Odonis Odonis has that takes influence from a few different styles (shoegaze, punk, and surf rock) and they jam it together in an original way that is unique to them which results in a few gems on the album. The most interesting part is that they find a way to build both their quick, two-minute punk-ish songs as well as their longer droned-out ones.
There isn’t a lack of oomph to be found; even the weaker tracks on Hollandaze are fun to listen to because of the energy Odonis puts into their music. For all the times Odonis sounds like other bands, they have times when they are totally unique, and that’s more important to focus on.
The things that stand out most about Hollandaze are how hard Odonis Odonis throw themselves into their music.
Even though the drums are repetitive electronic loops with just a few beats that, for the most part, don’t change throughout each song they still have that marching power you get from the White Stripes.
It’s this unique combination that unlocks what makes Odonis Odonis unique and hopefully they strengthen this strange yet impressive monster of style that they’ve created on their next release. Needless to say, you’re not going to hear this from anyone else.
Odonis Odonis Hollandaze tracklist:
- “Hollandaze”
- “Busted Lip”
- “White Flag Riot”
- “Blood Feast”
- “Seedgazer”
- “New World”
- “Handle Bars”
- “Basic Training”
- “We Are the Left Overs”
- “Ledged Up”
- “Tick Tock”
