‘Magistri’ is the debut album by Scottish grunge onslaught Ostraka. Channeling the sounds of Deftones and Alice in Chains, ‘Magistri’ is akin to watching a newborn baby walk for the first time. Absolutely terrible, but enchanting and full of promise. Throughout ‘Magistri’, themes of struggle are tackled lyrically. From war to mental health, Ostraka will dive headfirst into all topics that life tries to throw at them. Opening track “All the Love in the World” will hook you in with huge guitar riffs and story telling lyrics. A personal favorite, “All the Love in the World” perfectly displays the music style Ostraka wants to portray. Singing about his own narcissism and problems in life, the listener is immediately invested.
“Nothing Left to Kill” is an onslaught of anger and emotion about war and what it destroys. Never before has heavy metal sounded so melodious. Ostraka’s first single off the album will take you for a whirlwind of riffs and screamed vocals only to have you calm down and let the music slow your heart rate down. The next highlight of the album is “Eating Leeches”. A song written about mental deterioration and what it feels like to completely lose your mind. Dark, brooding, and uncomfortably catchy are the first things that come to mind when listening to “Eating Leeches”. Always a breather song, “Always Lost” allows you to catch your breath before jumping headfirst into the live album cuts.
Ostraka decided to record a four song live cut at the end of their recording sessions for ‘Magistri’. Live recordings are hard to capture everything in one perfect take with all members feeling each other’s energies. “Timeworn”, “Sidescroller”, ‘Ten”, and “Ritual” display everything fans fell in love with about Ostraka and then some. “Ritual” was the perfect choice to end this chaotic rollercoaster of an album. Providing a sense of community and an ending to all the themes addressed in ‘Magistri’. ‘Magistri’ is a terrific debut album by Ostraka and I cannot wait to see what they come out with in the future. Incorporating different flavors of heavy metal, grunge, and melody will allow listeners from all walks of music to enjoy what Ostraka has to offer.
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