‘Worth Checking Out In Case You Missed It – Review Feature’ 

OTUS – 7,38 Hz

Argonauta Records – CD // DD – Released March, 2016

Reviewed by Ric “Suisyko” Dorr

Founded 2012 in Rome Italy

Band members – ∴Andrea Adesso: Drums / ∴Brunomaria Cosenza: Guitar / ∴Daniele Antolini: Bass / ∴Fabio Listrani: Guitar, Back Vocals / ∴Fabrizio Aromolo: Vocals, Synth

…and per the band’s own description, they take elements from ambient music as well as post-apocalyptic metal, syphon that through their BLACK SABBATH filter of doom and give us their interpretation that OTUS says “was inspired in fact, by the desire to deal with concepts related mainly to Eastern philosophies, which intersect with the more recent discoveries of modern physics, and who find in authors such as Fritjof Capra and Jiddu Krishnamurti, some of the most important sources of inspiration. The band enrich their sound playing ethnic instruments, building their own synthesizers, chanting mantras and taking particular care of their own visual and symbolic identity, handling everything from show posters to onstage visual projections. The result of this research, moves the band’s approach on mainly long and complex compositions, that evolve smoothly between aggressive and relaxed moments, atmospheric and violent resolutions — all in the service of the concept among occult and science that OTUS offer through their lyrics and visual art. ” enquote. Well, OTUS is definitely sure of what they want to convey and seem very focused in how to accomplish this.

“7.83Hz” is the first full-length album from this 5 man band and is true to the stated focus tying science and music together in a manner most have not yet witnessed. Stating that “7.83Hz” is a concept album divided in 3 chapters and inspired by Timothy Leary’s quote: Turn on, Tune in, Drop Out” it would seem that this would leave this album as the third chapter representing the Drop Out portion what with the March 2013 Demo debut release already containing ‘Turn On Pt I & II’ and ‘Tune In Pt I & II’. Spaced 4 years apart, the conceptual continuity seems flawless and they tie together beautifully when A/B’d together as one recording. Fabio is credited with the artwork and again, ties perfectly with the demo in concept and execution.

Opener ‘Avidya’ summons forth the throat singing previously featured in ‘Tune In-Pt I’ and then advances with a precise swing of aggro riffs and a tempo that jumps and weaves all over, never losing the core beat of this brutal swagger that suddenly jumps to a run for the last minute and half and there is no option to do anything other than keep up until the last chord fades into the floating keys that keep floating above the ground, serving as the perfect lead into ‘Last Of The Four’, that meanders slowly forth before the power chords grab your face pulling along this pure sludgefest of growls of rage and enough bass to pull you under the very ground beneath your feet, unrelenting in the hold until the final minute, when everything gets slower and softer and then the air shifts as ‘Echoes And Evocations’ serves up an almost menacing tone that is phase-shifted to an extreme that seems to entrance as the clean notes bounce around you, echoing with repeat and slow fade, enticing you along and then the time shifts and there is a feeling of light growing around you in a mystic fog, all the while the layers growing number and complexity as this instrumental deluge has you in it’s feather sift grasp and keeps washing over you and around you and almost through you as the throat singers fade back in from the edges of your astral vision and then ‘Phurba’ begins and the fog is cleared in  hyper-fuzzed out majesty of guitars and bass full force. Eight minutes into this opus the music fades and the throat singers have entered again yet seemingly having never left as the pulses come and go until the punch of ‘Theta Synchrony’ hits with the edge of pick-ripping down-slides set the tone for this  11 and a half minute dirge that is the ultimate wet dream for those doom-sludgers that want an even darker edge that they have imagined could be delivered using the power of physics to further explore the inner-power purportedly contained within us all.

Title track ‘7.83 Hz’ utilizes the “Earth’s healing frequency” and the use of “binaural beats” to explore the theorem of how all of these frequencies and the effects they have on the brain that have been studied by scientists over the past 40 years, mainly accredited to Robert Monroe of The Monroe Institute. From the extensive research done and on the strength of Monroes’ findings, he concluded that inducing brainwave frequencies through the use of binaural beats causes a wide range of effects. There are lots of other scientists that have also noted that these lower brainwave frequencies are accompanied by deep tranquility, flashes of creative insight, euphoria, intensely focused attention, enhanced learning abilities, spiritual awareness, and so much more. From the fade in to the slow drop out before ‘Black Lotus’ begins will leave you ready for the remainder of this journey through several realms including ‘Alpha Phase’ with it’s spaced out stoner-chug along  tempo and slicing staccato guitars that keep you moving in perfect time until the closer ‘Res Cogitans, Res Extensa’ opens with a lone bass line, then a soft cymbal crash, repeat and enter sinister six-strings to clear the path for this book-end track that ties everything together that we have just experienced here from the front until now. There is no turning away from the revelations and insight revealed as even this tome fills you with that mystical feeling of ‘something more’.

Was not sure of what to expect when I read their own descriptors and entered in with one brow raised in curious disdain but once I opened my ears and followed along, I understood… so will you!! Get this one like, YESTERDAY and make an hour plus of it.

It is suggested that to properly enjoy binaural beats, Find a comfortable place free of distractions. It’s important not to listen to binaural beats when you need to do something that requires your full attention like driving. Avoid any tasks that are mentally demanding because the meditative state is not conducive to quick, action-oriented critical thinking. Listen to binaural beats when you want to relax, clear your mind, get your creative juices flowing, engage your intuition to help solve problems and for personal development work such as repeating affirmations and doing visualization. Be sure to give yourself enough listening time! The brain requires about 7 minutes to entrain, or fall in sync, with the audio stimulus. Give yourself at least 15-30 minutes of listening time to experience the benefits. You must use stereo headphones for binaural beats to work. Why? Because the ‘beats’ themselves are created in your brain The word binaural means “having or relating to two ears.” It works like this: each ear receives a slightly different frequency at the same time, and the brain perceives the tone that is the difference of the two.

Buy the record, share it out and support OTUS when they come to your area!!  The complexity and intensity of the band’s material will translate well in a live setting or at Volume 11 in the comfort of your home and/or your car!!

You must use stereo headphones for binaural beats to work. Why? Because the ‘beats’ themselves are created in your brain The word binaural means “having or relating to two ears.” It works like this: each ear receives a slightly different frequency at the same time, and the brain perceives the tone that is the difference of the two. If 400Hz pulses into one ear and 410 into the other, the brain will process the two sounds into a 10 Hz frequency, which happens to be the same frequency produced by the brain during meditation.