As a band, KOYO have always been purveyors of interesting rock music, but trying to pin an easy identity on their sound is a thankless task. On their 2017 debut, they jumped between styles, somewhat gleefully, with the semi-psychedelic ‘Lost In The Kingdom’ playing like a lost Jane’s Addiction track overlaid by bleeping new wave keys, ‘Now I Understand’ sounding a bit like a Charlatans deep cut, and ‘Tetrachromat, Pts. 1 & 2’ dipping its toes into a world of contemporary sounding prog, where a complex arrangement was joined by Hawkwind-esque sax work, creating a trippy feel, augmented by a melodic metal undertone. Their 2020 release (‘You Said It’) saw them experimenting with shorter songs and a punchier sound, but for those willing to invest the time, the best songs still conveyed a sense of adventure, with the title cut blending modern indie sounds and a pinch of post rock crunch. Better yet, the album standout ‘Obelisk’ worked a huge art rock sound, where jerky rhythms collided with huge metallic riffs and trippier passages reminded listeners that the band who’d shared ‘Lost In The Kingdom’ just a few years earlier were still there…somewhere.

The ever restless and always experimental band sound different again on their 2024 release ‘Onism’. This is obviously a good thing. They’ve taken a trip through a world of classic rock and metal albums during the writing and recording process, and this gives some of the material a harder edge. Extant fans will not be disappointed, however, since the big riffs are still offset by a world of experimentation, strange melodies and unexpected musical twists.

A world of chopping riffs and pulsing keys sits at the heart of the opening number ‘La Cucaracha’, resulting in something quite funky. Those busier elements are contrasted by a world of lead guitar work which takes in a little fuzz, a little blues rock and an almost post rock tone that makes it hard to pigeonhole. A repeated shouty refrain lends a different quality again, making the number seem as if it wants to fall in line with one of Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard’s more angular experiments, before bowing out with a world of funk bass set against an anthemic chant. KOYO are clearly carving out their own brand of progressive, alternative rock here, but if you were looking for a vague comparison that might give a further clue to this track’s sound, think ‘Extremist’ era Joe Satriani put through the ringer by The Fierce & The Dead and Explosions In The Sky and you might come vaguely close… It’s great to hear the band really going for it here; the huger sounding guitar work gives KOYO’s gift for interesting compositions some welcome extra heft, and Huw Edwards shares an absolutely superb tone throughout.

Exploring something entirely different, the instrumental ‘Dark Horse’ works a mean funk bass and a sharp post-rock guitar, delivering a world of busy riffs atop a huge sounding groove. Although the mood is contemporary at the time of writing, it’s still possible to hear the ghosts of the 90s fretboard shredders within Huw’s work, and the way he drops sharp sounds against a busy rhythm constantly catches the ear. As expected, when KOYO venture into the unexpected, the main melody is offset by an odd twist or two, and in this case, the track works a great middle section where Tom Higham’s drum work hints at a Brazilian influence; there are flashes of something that sounds like Paul Simon’s ‘Rhythm of The Saints’ lurking within a track that’s otherwise one part Steve Vai, one part post rock, and three parts 90s rock. When this is all put through the KOYO blender, of course, it makes perfect sense – providing the listener with something that’s interesting, but still very accessible. Going into something much chunkier, ‘Stoneman’ works a fat bass groove against a spoken vocal. Although the end result comes with a huge, funk driven swagger, you could never call it funk. It’s more of a groove laden post-rock banger, but even labelling it as such would be to sell it short. Like the rest of the material here, there’s far more at stake. Once the guitars rise, KOYO work their way through a much smoother set of riffs, and there are traces of Lenny Kravitz within their huge tones. Returning to the funkier aesthetic, Layth Ibrahim continues to share a bass riff with a hugely confident swagger, but the main melody branches out even further with the help of a choir of vocals, ensuring that this rather long track maintains a feeling of constant motion rather than merely repeating the same musical phrases. At almost seven minutes, it’s epic without resorting to the self-indulgence of prog, and although, arguably, this album features a couple of tracks that are more interesting, the pop-laden vocal really offsets the track’s rockier moments in a way that’s cool enough to make the main melody stick.

An album highlight, ‘Hooked’ opens with a heavy riff counterbalanced with a few really inspired guitar histrionics, the busier moments of which are revisited throughout to create a strong musical hook. For the bulk of the verse, there are elements of stoner metal colliding with heavy garage rock, but in true KOYO style, that’s not enough. A quieter middle eight introduces high toned vocals and an ominous thud from the bass, creating something more atmospheric, before a careening lead guitar break takes centre stage, showcasing this musical act’s more flamboyant side. Often sounding like the collision of three different tracks, it shouldn’t work as well as it does. However, between great playing and a crunchy production sound, listeners are left with something that sounds immense with the volume cranked.

The same goes for ‘Mechanical Bull’ which finds KOYO exploring something with a sharp edged guitar, used to pierce through another funky bassline. There’s a spacious, angular element to the track that fits neatly into a post-rock mould, but as is typical of this rather untypical album, elements of melodic metal and a prog-ish vocal ensure this is a track with a massive crossover potential. There really is something here that’ll appeal to most people with “alternative” musical interests. The fantastic ‘Into The Dirt’ takes an even bigger leap towards alternative sounds by splicing a speed driven rhythm with angular guitar work, creating a Frankenstein hybrid of Cardiacs, funk metal, Kravitz and Freak Kitchen. This organised chaos works the whole band brilliantly, especially Huw, whose left with the task of weaving a busy vocal through a non-standard arrangement, whilst laying down some especially choppy guitar lines.

With this third album, KOYO’s free spirited approach to throwing in as many influences as they fancy and refusing to be tied to a particular style of rock is heard in full flow, but in some ways their experimental musical stance has reached maturity. On the record’s eight core numbers, the riffs are tighter, the vocals are more assured, and the production values (courtesy of Franz Ferdinand producer Mike Horner) are superb. The material is still odd enough to appeal, first and foremost, to the arty crowd – you’d never call this record commercial, even though there’s more of a concession to bigger hooks in places – but it’s interesting to hear the band sounding more assured. Fans of bands like The Fierce & The Dead (especially their ‘News From The Invisible World’ album) and other post rock fare should check this out; as should lovers of harder edged indie rock like Little Thief and Dutch Tulips, and even those who still enjoy those old guitar-centric albums from the 90s shredders. This is scattershot enough to appeal to a huge cross section of open minded rock fans, but still bristles with melody. It’s never easy listening, but it’s definitely the kind of record that’ll sound even more appealing over time. It’s likely that any future KOYO works will sound different again, but as a snapshot of where the band are in 2024, ‘Onism’ is superb – a smart and sophisticated musical treat.

September/October 2024