OSI

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OSI is an American band, originally formed by Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos in 2002. Chroma Key keyboardist and vocalist Kevin Moore is the only other full-time member of the band. The collaboration may be considered a studio project, as its members and contributors write and track most of their material independently, sharing and developing tracks long-distance, only coming together at the end of the process for mixing and additional tracking. The band’s name is a reference to the Office of Strategic Influence, a short-lived American government agency formed in 2001 to support the War on Terror through propaganda. The band has featured a number of guest musicians on its albums, including Steven Wilson, Mikael Åkerfeldt, Sean Malone, Joey Vera and Gavin Harrison.

Matheos recruited Moore and Dream Theater’s then-drummer Mike Portnoy to perform on what was originally planned to be a Matheos solo album. Matheos and Portnoy originally planned to produce a progressive metal album similar in style to Matheos’ work in Fates Warning. Moore changed the music’s direction, incorporating electronica into the original progressive metal sound. The band’s debut album was released by InsideOut Music in 2003.

OSI was originally intended to be a one-off project, but Matheos and Moore found they both had gaps in their schedules so produced a follow-up. Free was released in 2006, with Portnoy returning to play drums as a session musician rather than a full band member, due to personal and musical differences between him and Moore. Blood was released in 2009, with Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison replacing Portnoy. The fourth album Fire Make Thunder was released in 2012 by Metal Blade Records, with Harrison once again on drums.

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  • Cabrasevera

    I absolutely love the album Blood. Masterpiece .[3]

    20 Apr 4:14am Reply
  • hookbags

    I absolutely love the album Blood. Masterpiece.[2]

    19 Mar 1:44am Reply
  • JustLotte

    I absolutely love the album Blood. Masterpiece.

    16 Mar 4:58pm Reply
  • JamesLaBrie1

    perfect work

    21 Feb 7:29pm Reply
  • chaosventure

    CHAOS VENTURE SPACE TRAILER . Songwriting by Andrea De Paoli, Christian Casini, Alberto Rizzo Schettino. A new genre named SPACE METAL will drive you into another dimension. Produced and Engineered at my studio. In collaboration with KEVIN MOORE, MARK ZONDER and RICHARD BARBIERI.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0oKlOoT1yo

    6 Jan 9:58am Reply
  • Haamza

    Definitely one of my favorite bands of all time.

    7 Dec 2012 Reply
  • phatride

    Never liked Fates Warning or Chroma Key. But this music is quite interesting.

    5 Dec 2012 Reply
  • fabrykamagazine

    Amazing sound. Not too unique if you track possible influences but made to sound original ;) I'd like to review their album sometime, if they submit...

    17 Nov 2012 Reply
  • butt12345

    dool rock

    3 Oct 2012 Reply
  • LinkBajio

    Sean Malone YES !!!

    28 Aug 2012 Reply
  • Teathyme

    "For Nothing" is haunting, deceptively complex, and so genuine it makes my heart hurt.

    18 Aug 2012 Reply
  • Blutkindd

    Osi? it's OSI! [2]

    27 Jul 2012 Reply
  • RocknReelReview

    Check out our review of Fire Makes Thunder: http://www.rocknreelreviews.com/review/osi-fire-makes-thunder/

    23 Jul 2012 Reply
  • googlebuns

    New album has its moments, but I felt Blood was epic. It fucking changed my perspective on music as a whole

    20 Jul 2012 Reply
  • tsudduth24

    I liked the new album.... very good prog.

    18 Jun 2012 Reply
  • Delirium-Cordia

    Personally, I give the album 5/5. It's deceptively subdued. There are so many things going on throughout. A sample here, intense and oddly timed riffs there, dense and layered electronics, solos, mini breakdowns. Not to mention that flawless production. I also felt like this album was more varied in terms of mood and feel. There's creepy (if triumphant), lonely, sarcastic, quixotic.. Then there's the album's adventurousness, with one track showing visions of the avant-garde (Big Chief II), the dramatic "watery" feel of Wind Won't Howl, the bubbling, psychedelic feel of Invisible Men (love how the distortion is handled). I can't say enough about this release.

    21 May 2012 Reply
  • Dyomaeth

    The new album isn't as captivating as the previous ones.. Guess I have to listen to it more, but I'm not pleased.

    18 May 2012 Reply
  • DaruJericho

    'For Nothing' is my fave off the new one and yeah, it does sound like Chroma Key.

    15 May 2012 Reply
  • ProgShine

    http://progshine.com/2012/05/11/resenha-progshine-osi-fire-make-thunder/

    11 May 2012 Reply
  • wiche

    @deadair22 You're not alone. "For Nothing" is one of the best tracks on OSI's repertory. I'm kinda biased due the Chroma-Key-ish vibe in that song, I kinda think it's a Graveyard Mountain Home leftover! Anyway, that track is absolutely brilliant and I made a little video for it. Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn_tx1CswtM

    10 May 2012 Reply
  • All 562 shouts