Office of Strategic Influence - Free (2006) - A Review

Progressive music has always been a constant fodder for establishment of musical supergroups. Whether it was the likes of Emerson, Lake and Palmer,and Mahavishnu Orchestra in the yesteryears or Transatlantic, Explorer’s Club, Liquid Tension Experiment (LTE), it is all but natural that the underlying theme of the genre of music – i.e. experimentation and innovation cemented by musical wizardry and virtuosity, would be the most influential factor for these musicians to collaborate and create new music. So when Office of Strategic Influence (O.S.I) was formed in 2003 boasting of a line-up with Jim Matheos (Fate’s Warning), Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) Kevin Moore (Chroma Key and ex-Dream Theater) and Sean Malone (Gordian Knot), it turned heads because of the initial and the final names associated with the line-up., with Steven Wilson ( Porcupine Tree) and David Gildenlow (Pain of Salvation) coming close to being part of this incredible line-up. OSI's second album saw the bass being traded hands from Sean Malone to Joey Vera (Fate's Warning).

OSI’s eponymous debut album is one of my favorite prog albums this side of the millennium (yeah, I am into playlists a lot :P) and a follow-up act is a tall task considering how large and greedy these hungry ears have become! Dwelling on OSI’s sound, which was as unexpected (inspite of Kevin Moore) and as distinctive as it can get – with its rich electronic overtone as a result of some heavy duty dabbling on the programming and the synthesizers. One can only go onto presume Moore was in charge of this office, but the crisper sounding guitars and the seemingly structured composition methodology also give the sound its unique flavor. Moore also wears the hat of the vocalist and intentionally or unintentionally, this is never at the focal point. What possibly works both for and against their music is the absence of Portnoy’s vehement drumming. In their first album, there were moments where he has try his hand at more experimentation backing the song structure and moments where his skin slamming has been greatly overshadowed by the synthesizers and his presence has been substantiated with the fleeting peeking of the cymbals. It may be the last thing to expect of a project in which Portnoy has been involved with, but in a way, this actually distinguishes OSI’s music from his other initiatives.

“Free” probably has its place in the top prog releases of 2006, and right from the aggressive opening track “Sure you will”, it seemed to bring out Matheos’ increased involvement on the album. With its memorable chorus and some remarkable concoction of experimentation on the keys with the sharp riffs and drumming, it is also an excellent example of how complex compositions can be made easy listening. We also have to welcome back Portnoy and his characteristic contribution to the album – “Free” follows suit and this comes out more as a quintessential prog track until near the end where Moore peers in gently with the keys. This track has something in common with the second track of the first album – it shares the name of the album ..(hell, maybe it is their thing!)….”Go” has a more subdued background and it seems like more of a Moore product, although I must admit, his voice probably does not do much justice to the melody. The following tracks dip in and out between the heavy and the melodic, infused perfectly with the help of the synthesizers and the programming elements. A special mention of the only thing that comes closed to spaced out stuff – “Home was Good”. My pick out of the album would be “Simple Life” just for its unique melody. They have made a brief attempt at overdubbing the vocals in parts and this track, unlike the others, has a small and pleasant guitar solo of sorts.

Depending on the way you look it, the downside of this album and the collaboration, in my opinion, is that the experimentation works with the borderlines of the sound that they had created for themselves. Crisp riffs, deft drumming, inventive stuff on the synthesizer and programming techniques and the works. Almost every track has the same formula and so from the fifth track or so onwards, you are either left gaping for more (if you dig this formula) or you wanna hit the shuffle button. I probably have a different reason for wanting to opt out the back to back playback of the album - Kevin Moore’s vocals. His limitations in this role are very barren. I looked for a guest appearance a la Steven Wilson’s one on “Shutdown” my (surprise, surprise!!) favorite track out of their earlier album.

If you have spun their debut album, you would see how they have carefully built on the platform with more of a collaborative effort. You should definitely give this also a listen –I can probably expect either-or opinion. You might like it or you will end up thirsting for something else out of these guys – in any case, we would all love to have another album by them, I guess!

Track Listing

Disc 1

1. "Sure You Will" – 3:46
2. "Free" – 3:20
3. "Go" – 4:16
4. "All Gone Now" – 5:13
5. "Home Was Good" – 5:03
6. "Bigger Wave" – 4:30
7. "Kicking" – 3:52
8. "Better" – 4:06
9. "Simple Life" – 4:00
10."Once" – 6:34
11."Our Town" – 3:20

Disc 2

1. "OSIdea 9" – 3:33
2. "Set It On Fire" – 3:42
3. "Communicant" – 3:47
4. "When You're Ready” – 3:09
5. "Remain Calm" – 4:08
6. "Old War" – 1:06