Eleven years ago, Okular shook the metal underground with their second album, earning national and international recognition with their aggressive and inventive strain of progressive death metal. Their short but impressive lifespan – two ambitious and well-received albums in five years – left a lingering imprint on the Norwegian death metal scene. But just as quickly as they arrived, Okular fell silent, members contributing to other standout acts like Defect Designer (strong 2024 AOTY contender) and Diskord (2021 favorite to this day).
Once ahead of their time, Okular has seized today’s golden age of extreme music to rise from the ashes. Their new album, aptly titled Regenerate, will be released on June 7th. Pummeling, breathlessly technical, and just the right amount of melodic, Regenerate proves that Okular is back and better than ever.
Today, I’m thrilled to share opening track “Back to Myself and Beyond,” a veritable beast of a song and powerful mission statement for Regenerate. Harnessing the best of the Norwegian underground with muscular guitars charged by complementary hints of melody and dissonance, it’s a damn good preview into Okular’s ability to meld styles into complex, engaging songs with undeniable groove.
Okular shared their thoughts on “Back to Myself and Beyond:”
“The riffs take many surprising twists and turns, ranging from fast, chaotic and dissonant to heavy, simplistic and groovy. Many parts feature a layering of 2–3 different simultaneous guitar-lines. Lyrically, it describes a determination to be firmly anchored in the authentic self and to cut through delusion.”
Get a glimpse of Okular’s might with “Back to Myself and Beyond” and follow the band on Bandcamp to hear Regenerate in its entirety on June 7th!
Bridget Hughes
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