Ockums Razor has been a St Louis band since 2002, and their new EP Pusher shows their hard rock/metal sound getting even more sophisticated.  It includes 4 tracks: Pusher, A New Thing, Two Thieves and Fear Of The Unknown.

The track Two Thieves is probably familiar to you if you have heard the band perform live.  Based on part of the story of Christ’s crucifixion where He is between two thieves, one repentant and one challenging His power, it shines a spotlight on the soul with the lyrics, “On this earth you’ll claim to be one of these two. Tell me, which one are you?” The title song, Pusher, is a provocative, heavy piece who’s originating theme was inspired by, of all things, an X-Files episode where a character had the power to ‘push’ people to commit certain acts.   With heavy riffs and catchy hooks, this song is sure to get stuck in your head.  The song A New Thing seems to be about being able to adjust one’s attitude for the better and allow yourself to see from the point of view of another. Fear Of The Unknown’s content is apparent from the title, a fear common to uncertain humanity.

If you like heavy rock that is still melody-driven and thought provoking, you should give Ockums Razor a listen.  A strength of this band is that the singer has a distinctive voice.  While the music world is filled with ‘good’ voices, it often lacks voices that are immediately and indisputably identifiable.  For example, when you hear Mick Jagger, he sounds like Mick Jagger, and none other.   When you hear Stevie Nicks, you know it’s her—no one sounds like her.  Same for Chris Davis, frontman of Ockums Razor….he sounds just like…himself, and when you hear Chris, you know it’s Chris.  His matchless voice is the icing on the talented four-member hard-rockin’ cake that is known as Ockums Razor.  If you enjoy hard rock along the lines of  Faith No More, Alice In Chains, Sevendust and Tool, don’t miss the Pusher EP !

Published on Sept. 10, 2010
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