Have you ever wondered if you came from somewhere else other than planet earth? Well, Bassist Jon Weed (Weed) and Guitarist E.T. have… so they formed a band together called The OddEven.
While feeling displaced from this world, The OddEven are a Hard Rock band that call homebase Baltimore, Maryland. Together since 2019, they first put out the four track EP Space Juice in 2020, followed by the full-length album Dance on the Dead in 2021. A solid start, they would morph along the way after touring with bands like Adema and Flaw. In fact, it seems what they were conjuring up really struck the interest of Flaw’s Chris Volz who joined on with The OddEven as their lead singer. Additionally, they added the talents of Drummer Tosha Jones (who was a member of Saliva, performing on their 2018 album 10 Lives). A solid lineup of established musicians, The OddEven signed on with Eclipse Records, and are now set to release their new album Darkness.
Their third overall collection of songs released; Darkness is set to arrive on January 5, 2024. Marking their first set of recordings with Volz on vocals and Jones on drums, if you backtrack a few years, the new material sounds a bit different. Still possessing a heavy groove much like their 2020 and 2021’s outputs, naturally, the band’s sound has altered due to the Voltz’s highly distinctive voice.
Those who are fans of Flaw, Five.Bolt.Main, and Volz’s solo are well versed on his style. In short, Volz is someone who knows how to project his voice in a calm, yet emotional manner. However, his work with The OddEven is vastly unique to anything he has done prior. Not a bad thing, Volz adapts to the change in musical styles that The OddEven offer, but band founders, Weed and E.T., also adapt to him. A hybrid, the collection of ideas they put together are fascinating.
Giving you ten songs, the album has a rich groove of guitars and drums that is best described as a mix between Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock, and even Doom Rock. This vibe is extended well into the final song, but is more exemplified by a slow tempo that drags you deep into a trance that is very enticing. With a plausible atmosphere, the song lyrical themes range from disgust with the world, to wanting to detach from it all. Very disenfranchised in many regards, some of the most engaging tracks here would have to include the single “Whiskey,” “You’re Free,” “Home,” “Wild West,” and impossible to ignore finale “100th Monkey.”
Overall, Darkness is a Hard Rock record that harks back to ’90s Alternative and Grunge. Something that fans of Alice in Chains or Kyuss may enjoy, it is also not far-fetched to say The OddEven’s sound would not appeal to other modern Hard Rock fans too. Above all, it is really interesting to see Volz expand his repertoire with this band; because as stated, this is him like you have not heard before. A compelling, mind-expanding album to check out, Cryptic Rock gives The OddEven’s Darkness 4 out of 5 stars.
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