Oil - Refine (2000)
Kalubone has done it once again. I tell ya folks, this label is smokin right now, with a great catalog of Christian metal releases. When I was sent this pre-release of Oil, it was highly anticipated because I really enjoyed the first release. If you know anything about Oil, you know that the lead singer is Ron Rinehart who was with Dark Angel. This band has been kicking up quite a bit of dust, so when I popped the CD in I was prepared for maximum neck strain. I was not disappointed. Oil has surpassed the first release and matured their sound as well. With "Refine" you are going to get solid metal, with amazingly powerful grooves. Oil have been able to bring their sound more into the 90's on this release (in a good way). The quality of the recording is exceptional. I am actually amazed at how well defined the guitar tone is for how heavy it is. Ron's vocals are sung with emotion, and the lyrics definitely come from the heart. The only thing that seemed to throw me is that some of the vocal lines by Ron go out there sometimes. Meaning, sometimes the choice of notes sung doesn't necessarily go where you would expect. This can be a little distracting at times, but it makes things interesting. That is about as negative as I can be. The lead guitar on this smokes! I wish it could be just a tad higher in the mix so it could burn the ears a little more. The riffs are awesome, and the drums are simply butt-kicking! Oil define the very heart of brutal music, without hanging on to the clichés found in either hardcore or thrash. I wish there were more fast songs. The last song "Chopping Block" starts of with a face-ripping double-bass part, but then it slows down a bit (it still has some cool double-bass parts throughout the song though). From start to finish, expect brutal power groove. It's nice to know some bands have not forgotten the metal heads, and aim to please. Oil is the band to watch in 2000 and beyond. You should expect to see this CD marketed in the secular arena so it should be easy to pick up. If you need a new metal experience, get this CD now! -- Review by Scott Moore