Style: heavy metal, prog-metal
Label: self-released
Year: 2009
Home: New York City, New York
Members: Renee Davis ~ vocals
Piertro Sirianni ~ guitars/keyboards/b. vocals
Nick Geluso ~ bass/b. vocals
Steve Papa ~ drums
BOS presents an image of a moody & rough heavy metal band but actually is more akin to the heavier side of contemporary prog-rock vocalist Lana Lane, & always by her side famed keyboard playing husband Erik Norlander of Asia With John Payne. With a similar feel as Lane, frontwoman Renee Davis isn't a growling heavy metal singer nor an operatic diva & thus gives a varied almost bluesy melodic feeling to what otherwise might be straight metal on this seven song EP, BOS's first if one doesn't count an earlier three song release that included some of the same songs. The undeniable single "The Rain", with its pop-ish chorus "You'd tell me I'm beautiful/& so strong/I'm invincible/& I held on to your words", is sharp evidence of how a vocalist can change a band, as here there's typical riffing distorted guitars, thumping bass & keyboard ornamentation but is just a background to Davis's voice that is the real key behind the engine & making the car move forward. For the most part on the album the guitars thump away on heavy hardcore rhythms that offer little in the way of creative metal playing or any sense of true melodic lines, with the arrangements having little musical direction or any major highs/lows outside a casual bridge that could take Davis's voice even higher & or giving any musical equal to her emotional tones. Actually the guitars of BOS show the modern problem of a lack of melody that plagues a lot of modern heavy metal bands where there's more a feeling of repetition than direction & the sound is too thick & could do with some silent moments to create contrast. The only real musical contrast is found thanks due to the keyboards on "The Rain" & the similar feeling "Gone With Innocence", the two definite highlights that leaves the rest of the songs in the dust. Davis's voice has a lusty feel to it that is super attractive to listen to & she's crafted some very personal un-cliched metal lyrics to intone. There's some backing vocals of shouting providing a duet on "No Regrets". It's an interesting idea but the growling is a painful listen. Enough of the clichéd metal.
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