I love the way some bands market. They appear on social media, drop an album, then disappear. Odd Logic is like that. Every time I think they are gone for good, they reappear and a new album releases, all within a week or two. Their new one is called Mortal Heirloom and it released today, June 30th.
Odd Logic are an extremely consistent band. I originally heard them through 2016’s Penny for Your Thoughts (still a favorite), and have loved everything since, especially 2017’s Effigy. But their last album was 2019’s Last Watch of the Nightingale—I didn’t realize it had been that long! The lineup on the new album is Sean Thompson on guitars, bass, keys, synths, and vocals, and Pete Hanson on drums and percussion.
Sean is the mainstay for the band, and he’s been busy with other projects, such as Nothing in Writing (you need to hear it!) and The Triton Project. I guess that’s why I didn’t realize Odd Logic had been absent for so long. The band plays an extremely melodic form of progressive metal, spacious and atmospheric to the point where the music feels like a literal breath of fresh air as soon as I hit play. There are plenty of heavy riffs, but you’ll find acoustic guitars and keyboard melodies fulfill a major role.
Mortal Heirloom once again sees the band offering a rock-solid album. The hooks are catchy, the grooves are tasty, and the vocals are excellent. There’s just something about Sean’s voice that’s strangely comforting. I especially like his more reserved vocals as they are smooth as butter.
The album has six tracks and they are all great; there’s a favorite of mine in each half. For the first three tracks, we get the opener “Critical Minutiae” with its immediate melodies soon contrasted with gritty riffs; my overall favorite “Less Than Modern”, a truly groovy and amazing piece with an incredibly catchy chorus that will get your heading bobbing; and the single “Droid” with its heavier portions played right up against heavenly acoustic segments. The album just doesn’t dip in quality.
In the second half, we get my other favorite, “Permanent Guest”, another riffy song with a strong hook that I feel the song really earns. I love the last couple minutes as Sean sings his heart out. Next is the other single, “Unequal Lies”, which I find rather addictive, too, and much of it is velvety and nuanced. The closer is “In Separate Seas”, which probably has the heaviest moments on the record, and I love the extremely natural shifts in groove the band nails. I particularly love the guitars on this one, both heavy and soloing. It’s a grand end to the album, like I always expect from Odd Logic.
Odd Logic are still producing and their music is still a melodic balm for the spirit. Mortal Heirloom has some of the grooviest moments in their discography, and I love the contrasts they construct and the emotions they express. Progressive rock and metal fans of all stripes should give it a shot.
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Find Odd Logic online:
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The PROG Mind 