Composer/Musician Reacts to Oathbreaker - "

Bryan reacts to and talks about his thoughts on Oathbreaker "10:56" / "Second Son of R." (Official Video)
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[@ApplySomePressure54]

I watched your entire analysis and forgive me if I'm wrong but I don't think you mentioned or got around to discovering the actual content matter of the song so I just want to say with the context of the lyrics and what the song is about, the emotions you describe having picked up in the music itself is amplified sort-of tenfold. The song is about the singer's alcoholic/absent father, and growing up with him as a child. The intro being about a time when he tripped and fell on the way home from the bar and she found him unconscious outside in the morning on the sidewalk with a broken nose. The first pre-chorus "Your empty house won't comfort me.", the chorus itself "Don't make me pity you in the end." and the outro, the final lyrics of the song "You'll never know the person I became" only instead of actually saying 'became', she carries that "I" into the incoherent screaming that fills the rest of the song. Very, very heavy and an intense work of art.

[@CriticalReactions]

Thanks for this breakdown of the lyrical content. Lyrics are something that I rarely ever get to talk about since it isn't my strong suit -- both on actually hearing the words and on dissecting the poetic language and contributing more than a surface read. So I really appreciate when people can add that context into the comment section. It usually helps me appreciate the song more!

[@codexnecro]

After Oathbreaker, the next logic reaction would be Amenra - A Solitary Reign :D

[@ckokomo808]

It’s been in polls but doesn’t end up winning. I keep pushing for them too!

[@GregBourne]

I'm probably adding some divisiveness, but I LOVE Nowena | 9:10, and Plus Près De Toi. They hit hard but still retain the emotional resonance of other Amenra tracks.

[@chopchop080808]

@@GregBourne All great tracks. I think A Solitary Reign is a really good entry point for new people, though. Maybe even something like A Mon Ame or Diaken.

[@majimasmajimemes1156]

@@chopchop080808 Diaken, A Mon Âme is too monotonous, i find.

[@liliIiliIilil]

Glad they pushed into the black metal direction. Her voice is perfect for a guitar-driven wall of sound.

[@gnarxy]

The Church of Ra is so good. Oathbreaker, Amenra, and many more

[@TheVadrigar]

Caro's screams are probably the most blood chilling in all of music. Now you must react to their daddies- Amenra.

[@CriticalReactions]

Agree about the screams. There's something primal and visceral to them that I don't think we've heard on the channel yet.

[@Donnerwamp]

Wow, there's definately a lot of Black Metal influence in there. The scream vocals and drumming pretty much scream Black Netal into my face there, especially the last part could be a vocal sample from some DSBM song. I'd also put a little Post-Hardcore in there, but I'm not 100% sure about that, definately something post. Edit: I'm right now in my second listen, I'd lable it as Post-DSBM with a sprinkle of Post-Rock.

[@STAR0SS]

The instrument in the intro is just a guitar with a volume pedal (cutting the attack).

[@Cynips]

Read that 10:56, the name of the "intro", is also police code for suicide.

[@CriticalReactions]

Interesting. I've heard that this song is about the singer's alcoholic father and I wonder if that ties into it or not.

[@ckokomo808]

Sweet! I’ve been hoping Oathbreaker would show up. You should check out the audiotree version live...she is literally a banshee in that video. They make such intense music. The dynamics are really insane. Caro, the singer, is extremely talented in created a dynamic contrast. She is very expressive which creates an eerie/creepy mood. The band supports her by creating space for her and creating the atmosphere to carry the mood through the track (and entire album). Their earlier album, ErosAnteros, is a bit similar but has a more Converge vibe (post-hardcore). Hope you check out more for yourself (not an easy listen, and if you don’t enjoy it, it’s at least an interesting listen).

[@CriticalReactions]

You're not the first to recommend the Audiotree version so that's in my watch later list for sure.

[@stephaneficara4501]

@@CriticalReactions At this point try another track from the Audiotree live, "Needles in your skin" is great too ;) And yeah, agree, Caro is incredible, I would love a collab with Julie Christmas, that would just destroy the world.

[@TrashVinyl]

I'd say that Oathbreaker are in the same wheelhouse as bands like Deafheaven and Alcest that are labeled as Blackgaze which is a subgenre that blends the sounds of post-rock/shoegaze with black metal and hardcore. I believe that Oathbreaker did form out of the hardcore scene and have had some of their albums produced by Kurt Balou (Converge). But I do see where you're coming from with the Cult of Luna comparison since the album Rheia (which this song is from) was quite a departure from their previous sound and played around with more atmosphere and genres like post-metal. Speaking of post-metal, I would absolutely love to see you give Neurosis another chance, since I believe that "Stones from the Sky" was not a great introduction for the band (I personally don't really like that song either) and is not really representative of their best work. I'd definitely recommend checking out tracks like "Locust Star" from their album "Through Silver in Blood" or "The Doorway" from "Times of Grace". Both of these records were really formative for the Post-metal genre and greatly inspired bands like ISIS and Cult of Luna. In regard to bands that play around with atmosphere and black metal sounds I would also absolutely recommend the band "Oranssi Pazuzu" which are from Finland and they have a very psychedelic and atmospheric take on the black metal sound which is very hypnotic and unique. I would recommend checking out the track "Ilmestys" from their latest album or even "Hypnotisoitu viharukous" (good luck with the pronunciation on that one) from their previous record which is also a fantastic track. Great video and discussion as always!

[@steezydan8543]

Oh hell yeah, I love this album. Oathbreaker make me sad if I listen to them for too long, 10/10

[@CriticalReactions]

I could totally understand that, especially if the rest of this album is just as heavy and emotional as this track.

[@thewhorocks515]

Whoa that "Hello" in the darkness before the video started caught me off guard a bit lol. This was definitely a powerful song. The contrast enhanced and intensified both types of sections and made the song for me. I don't know if it 100% connected with me personally as it was just the tiniest bit too over the top for me and kept me from fully being immersed in it, but it was really well executed. I'll try to label this genre as I agree it is pointless but still so much fun. Post Black Hardcore Metal

[@CriticalReactions]

Oh man, I know exactly what caused the intro to not fade in but I didn't think it would do that. Guess I'll have to keep an eye on that. That's interesting to hear that you felt it was just a bit too much, too over the top, to fully connect with -- though I kind of understand where you're coming from.

[@ckokomo808]

Taking “hello darkness my old friend” to another level ;)

[@ProgPro96]

I'd say this song is pretty unique compared to most of Oathbreaker's other material. They started out as a blackened hardcore band and moved more into the post-metal stuff with their latest album Rheia. But throughout all of their music the black metal / hardcore influence is still there. I'm also going to add to all the Amenra comments and say I hope you react to them soon, their music is just as intense as this song.

[@CriticalReactions]

I'll have to dig into their older works then, see how the blackened part works with the hardcore part.

[@elk3407]

I feel like they definitely have some skramz/"real screamo" influence as well. Although I guess that technically still falls under hardcore. Their album Eros/Anteros is the reason I got into them because it has Circle Takes The Square vibes, and As The Roots Undo is in my top 10 favorite albums of all time. Critical Reactions should do some CTTS sometime, something like Same Shade as Concrete or Kill The Switch.

[@modefathy1205]

if u reach Oathbreaker u should check the masters Amenra

[@REDSIN1000]

Amenra go go

[@chacecampbell2697]

Holy shit YES

[@MandatoryZong]

Saw these guys live back in 2018, the crowd was not ready lol Oh and they're Blackened Post-Hardcore if its bugging you, but you got pretty close in your guesstimating.

[@jordahnnelson9926]

Another song on this incredibly album that really speak to your interpretation of both oppressiveness and submission or giving in is Being Able to Feel Nothing. It actually comes on right after this on the album (which I reddommend if you havent already listened) but that song has those themes along with an incredible extreme shift in tone throughout with release at the end.

[@taterhamster]

What an unexpected song(s) for a reaction! Glad you did it though, this is one of the best album intros I've heard in the past few years. I still have to be in the mood to listen to this album though, because it's extremely intense (in a similar way as Amenra is).

[@ckokomo808]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen this song reached to...definitely an underrated band.

[@deminybs]

can't remember if it was asking alexandria or alesana but that ending brought me back lol, one of their tracks they end it with the singer just doing a bunch of screams ( no lyrics) wasn't the worst I heard, possibly would listen again though . hope everyone is staying warm!!

[@GregBourne]

Not a knock, but a lot of bands do it. I enjoy just pure raw emotion poured into a song, another example could be Korn's song Daddy where Jonathan Davis genuinely breaks down during the song. If you haven't listened to it before I'd recommend it (along with the lyrics).

[@deminybs]

@@GregBourne true lots have done it, just one that came to mind lol, yeah I've heard it

[@StringHead92]

I liked this track but I definitely need to be in the mood due to the brutal contrast. I really dug the sparse, softer sections more than the heavier, mainly because a lot of the heavy stuff felt a bit repetitive, though I might dig it more on repeated listens. Will have to check more definitely.

[@CriticalReactions]

Head space is definitely important for a track like this. The heavy stuff was repetitive but I felt it was necessary to achieve the intended emotion. Which is funny because that's the same thing I heard during post-metal week but just never clicked with. I don't know if that's just because this song connected with me or because I'm beginning to 'get' the post-metal repetition more than I did before.

[@StringHead92]

@@CriticalReactions It can be a bit of both. That kind of apreciation of repetition is definitely something that can be learnt. But still, music is weird in that sense that something might be exactly what you should like and you don't, or viceversa, and everything in between.

[@Cynips]

@@CriticalReactions I'm not a huge post rock fan because of that repetition, but this is nowhere near being boring for me. I never even really considered that it had a bit of that genre in it. But yeah, maybe post black metal is as good as any a genre description.

[@muaddib4329]

incredible record. Believe it or not...I think the live version on Audiotree is better than the record.

[@markgoodwin5306]

That’s a good take on the song. I’d also call it haunting. It’s uh, unsettling. I just imagine walking through a dark unfamiliar forrest, being lost. The moon is bright and that’s the only reason I can see, otherwise I’d just lay on the ground and wait for the sun. So I just keep walking with a heaviness in my chest, hoping I find a clearing and I can stretch my arms in relief that I found something new, a new unfamiliarity.

[@Cynips]

I feel a little bit guilty voting for this since I think it obviously falls into the black metal overall genre. But, yes, you can discuss other influences like blackgaze or what have you. Doesn't really matter for the song itself. However, since I love this song I very much wanted you to experience it too! Actually, for me it is more cathartic, cleansing - coming out of it with a good feeling. Saw them live once, and it was just as good (although it was outside in bright daylight).

[@CriticalReactions]

I can't imagine hearing this live with all of that energy in the venue. It's pretty cool to hear that you find it....refreshing? Would that be a good word for it? Regardless, that's one of the things that I love about music. Two people can pull completely opposite understandings from the same song. There's just something really cool about that.

[@Cynips]

@@CriticalReactions Another good word... maybe engaging, like in how the emotions make me care about the song, feel something that seems genuine. Actually don't know what the lyrics are about - maybe that could alter the experience for me.

[@Cynips]

Hm, thinking more about this and maybe an adrenaline rush is what's happening.

[@CriticalReactions]

That I could see. And I'd say I even had a little bit of the adrenaline rush feeling here as well. The song had me at the edge of my seat, end of my nerves; certainly engaging and full of adrenaline.

[@fargonz6736]

This gives me some early From Autumn to ashes Vibes. Great track, thanks for sharing

[@ambassadortourettes753]

This band is absolutely one of my all time favorites... Awesome AF 👌

[@SanskarWagley]

love this song, you should react to Immortals off the same album

[@The_Dusk_Sage]

I miss this band. This track floors people every time 😂

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

Looking forward to hearing a lot of new and interesting bands/artists this week. This one was definitely interesting, basically vacillating between a kind of folkish post-rock/post-metal and full-throttle black metal/blackgaze: reminds me a lot of Deafheaven. Definitely compelling. I found the folkish sections more interesting; until the very cathartic ending the black metal elements seemed more generic. I do really love how cathartic it ended though. One of the really cool developments in recent years is how many metal bands have taken a genre that's typically been about aggression and fantasy and putting a bigger emphasis on emotion and atmosphere, and songs like this show how that can be done to really powerful effect.

[@CriticalReactions]

You're right on the nose about the evolution of these genres as bands take them from their aggressive roots and utilize the sound to project new, or other, emotions. It's bands like Oathbreaker that are going to get me into these harsher genres. I need that other emotion to connect with this stuff but the pure aggression, the rage, isn't something that I can connect with too well. I'm becoming more certain with each exposure to stuff like this that it isn't the harshness or extreme-ness of these genres that turn me away but my inability to connect with the narrative of the songs.

[@stephaneficara4501]

How did I miss that reaction, I absolutely love this album. And for me Caro Tanghe is up there with Julie Christmas, if we're talking about women in extreme music. That's funny it reminded you about Cult of Luna. They actually come from a blackened crustpunk background (their first demo). But you should check something from Eros|Anteros, the album just before Rheia, maybe with the tracks "Beeltenis/No Rest for the Weary" for the in-you-face side, or "The Abyss looks into me" live @Petit Bain for a low/mid-tempo one. In this video, the drummer wears a Cult Leader shirt, they're great too ! Try "The broken right hand of god" from the Audiotree live. Or if you ask for intense and filled soundscape : Frontierer - Bleak.

[@gr1m207]

Please react to Oathbreaker - being able to feel nothing (audiotree version)

[@KC_rocka]

Such an emotional, powerful song, quite a distinct band, I love em, I really enjoyed your reaction/review, I would say this song has a very black metal feel to it, also a doom metal vibe.

[@dosc5222]

If you want emotionally devastating atmospheric post-Black Metal, check out "Ultha - Der alte Feind (Jeder Tag reisst Wunden)". German post-black metal with lyrics about depression, pretty awesome melodic riffs and drenched in atmosphere.

[@PaN1xX]

Amenra - Solitary Reign should be on your list too.. hey im not a patron, doesnt make me less valuable in my suggestions also you should watch the audiotree show from them, they play both these tracks as first and second.. Caro live is even more special!

[@CriticalReactions]

I'll definitely be checking out the Audiotree session. Haven't heard a bad one from that production yet.

[@PaN1xX]

@@CriticalReactions you will certainly enjoy. you should also definitly give Amen Ra and its surrounding bands a listen. part of the members of Oathbreaker also play in Amen Ra and some other projects. they have a Black Metal band with just a drummer and too guitarists in the same style as the bands just mentioned, all together a very interesting musical collective.

[@AlectriXSharpness]

We need more blackgaze on this channel for you to react. The most well known band it's Deafheaven and their album Sunbather, 100% recommended!

[@CriticalReactions]

We've done Deafheaven before but for some reason I associate uplifting thrash with the name.

[@AlectriXSharpness]

@@CriticalReactions Honestly naming them thrash it's not misleading lol. I went to see your Dream House reaction and I actually agree with you on the monotony of the song, even if I think it's perfect. Love the channel!

[@davetorres3906]

Please, check the whole album Rheia, it's highly emotional and intense just like this track

[@CriticalReactions]

I'll have to be in the right mindset for that but I'm happy to hear that the whole album is on this same level.

[@jen.g.]

I adore this album so much. I’m seeing a lot of recommendations for Amenra, which always makes me think of Lingua Ignota (who is an artist you have to check out at some point; she did a song with Amenra). Lingua Ignota is...different and emotionally heavy. If you get around to it, check out “Do You Doubt Me Traitor”.

[@CriticalReactions]

Anything that's spoken about in the same context as this Oathbreaker track has me interested. I'll make sure she (and the song you suggested) get on the channel sometime soon.

[@jen.g.]

@@CriticalReactions I’m a little nervous about the recommendation, honestly. I don’t know if you’ll like it, but you’ll definitely feel something.

[@CriticalReactions]

That's fine by me. I certainly enjoy finding new favorites but it's usually the music that challenges me that ends up with the best analysis sections. Definitely enjoy both ends of the spectrum.

[@CassetteMelody]

I'm just going to leave this here kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGPMfoKAfrtrhsk fits with this weeks theme I guess FFO experimental rock/chaotic hardcore

[@tiffanyalberti2029]

Hope you are having a good day. As soon as I get a job and get my own place I was thinking about getting a patreon account and getting my own reaction channel. If I do this and I am successful or at least decent is it possible for me to make a living as a reactor? Is being a reactor really that lucrative or do you just do this for fun?

[@CriticalReactions]

I can't say it's too lucrative for me but I also tend to avoid the more popular bands and I also speak my mind, often times having some criticisms to say amongst my praise. To that end, I've ticked off a couple of larger fanbases which might have helped my channel explode in popularity. For instance, a handful of reaction channels that hit the scene around the same time as me or even after me have dwarfed me in subscribers. I hope to be able to turn this from a full time hobby into a full time job eventually but right now I guess I would put this in the camp of "doing it for fun."

[@richardirving8144]

React to Book of Knots - Nebula Rasa!

[@marcpaesen460]

Try Brutus.. Also a great Belgian band!!

[@CriticalReactions]

Yeah! I checked out Sugar Dragon from them and was enamored with their style.

[@hestanzalas]

It's supposed to be post black metal, I think. Whatever that means.

[@KC_rocka]

please react to another very cool metal band called Vintersea and their song Befallen.

[@CriticalReactions]

I've reacted to The Holy Procession and Fiery Tongue, went out and bought all 3 of their albums that same week I checked those out too. Love that group.

[@KC_rocka]

oh wow that's awesome i'll have to watch those reactions

[@marcpaesen460]

A Belgian band, just like Amenra.

[@kodoqbesar4301]

You should react to Dragonforce for shredding at one of its finest.