THE QUIET REBELLION OF COMPROMISE

Fans of dark progressive rock/metal music take heed: Norwegian quartet Oak have just released via Karisma Records their third LP The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise - a poignant exploration of themes related to mental health and suicide that draws from a diverse musical palette, including piano-driven progressive rock, chamber pop, dark electronica and hard-rock/metal. The result is a collection of songs that combine umbratile atmospheres, exquisite melodies and surprisingly sharp edges that will appeal to fans of bands like Porcupine Tree, Leprous, Katatonia and Gazpacho.

I have been following the Norwegians since their 2013 debut LP Lighthouse. That album caught my attention for its rather unique sound: moody piano lines and bass grooves laid the foundations of the songwriting, while guitars, sax and strings were used in a more complementary role, to inject splashes of colour and add variation to the arrangements. That gave the record an unusual feel, dark and airy at the same time, forming an ideal background for Simen Valldal Johannessen's deep, velvety voice. Oak's 2018 sophomore album False Memory Archives built on similar sonic ideals, but with a stronger sense of composition and better balance between accessibility and songwriting subtlety.

The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise does not stray too far from the previous two records, but lets the guitars take a more central role, adding much sharper edges to the sound and moving it closer to the kind of prog metal/rock that Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree have pioneered since the beginning of the century. The UK prog icons constitute a rather prominent influence for this album, much more so than for Oak's previous records. Wilson-esque melodies and vocal harmonies abound, while songs like "Demagogue Communion" embrace the kind of staccato chord progressions that are a trademark of Porcupine Tree's songwriting. Elsewhere, "Dreamless Sleep" and "Paperwings" take the direction of dark electro-rock that one can find in Steven Wilson's more recent solo work, like Grace for Drowning or Hand.Cannot.Erase. The latter record in particular constitutes a fitting reference point for The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise, both thematically and sonically. Both albums explore similar themes of isolation, mental struggle and suicide, using subtle shifts in intensity and dynamics, in an incessant play of light and shadows that projects a poignant emotional arc from beginning to end.

I normally try not to draw such overt comparisons between a band and their influences in my reviews, but this time I felt an exception was necessary, because the similarities between The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise and Steven Wilson's work are ultimately what holds this record back somewhat. With their previous albums, Oak had cemented a reputation for a band with a unique voice, which one could immediately recognize as soon as the first notes of a song were played. I feel that, by leaning a tad too heavily on its influences, the new LP somewhat lost that uniqueness. It is a pity because, in all other respects, The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise is a massive step forward for Oak. The band have managed to strike an almost perfect balance between immediacy and resonance here. The new songs float fluidly through a rollercoaster of dynamics and mood shifts, but eventually always coalesce around memorable hooks that give the music a sense of purpose and direction - something that the band had not always achieved on earlier albums. This strong sense of direction is maintained even when the music takes off towards more experimental soundscapes, like when a sax solo emerges from a dark forest of electronic beats on the Ulver-esque "Sunday 8AM", or in the almost rapped verses of "Paperwings". I really love the addition of these more left-field moments that push the album into more uncharted waters and yet do not perturb at all its core sonic identity. The album's production, curated by David Castillo (Katatonia, Leprous Opeth, etc.), and Tony Lindgren, is also terrific - crisp and clear, and packing a good punch too.

As I wrap up this review, I come to the realization of the paradox that The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise represents for me. It is album from Oak that I like the most and the least at the same time. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the most accomplished release from the Norwegian band, fully overcoming the slightly unfocused songwriting that had characterized some of their previous work. At the same time, it is the least characteristic and original of the three albums the Norwegians have released so far. Ultimately, though, what we are really facing here is a luxury problem. Oak are a phenomenal young band and The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise is a marvellous album, condensing in its nearly 50 minutes everything I love about progressive rock and metal music: it is heavy without losing sight of melody, catchy but deep, dark but not lightless, experimental but at the same time familiar. Fans of any of the bands mentioned in this review will do themselves a favour by checking this out.

[Originally written for The Metal Observer]