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**Oh Sees - Orc**
★★★★☆

John Dwyer's restless creative spirit has never been one to sit still, and by 2017, his constantly evolving psych-rock juggernaut had shed its "Thee" prefix to become simply Oh Sees, marking another chapter in an already bewildering discography that spans garage punk, krautrock, and cosmic freakouts. Following the crushing dual-drummer assault of 2016's "A Weird Exits" and "An Odd Entrances," Dwyer found himself at a crossroads. The band's lineup had shifted once again, with longtime drummer Nick Murray departing, leaving Dan Rincon to handle percussion duties alongside the ever-reliable rhythm section of Tim Hellman on bass. Rather than retreat or consolidate, Dwyer did what he does best: pushed forward into uncharted sonic territory.

"Orc" emerged from this period of transition like a beast awakening from hibernation – hungry, disoriented, and absolutely ferocious. The album's title, a nod to Tolkien's brutish creatures, proves prophetic as Dwyer and company unleash eight tracks of pummeling, hypnotic rock that feels both primitive and futuristic. This isn't the garage-pop charm of early Oh Sees records, nor is it the sprawling psych odysseys of their mid-period work. Instead, "Orc" presents a band operating at peak intensity, channeling their accumulated power into focused bursts of controlled chaos.

The album announces itself with "The Static God," a seven-minute monster that builds from ominous bass rumbles into a full-scale assault. Dwyer's guitar work here is particularly inspired, weaving between crystalline arpeggios and crushing power chords while his vocals alternate between melodic croons and primal howls. It's a mission statement that declares Oh Sees' intent to pummel listeners into submission while maintaining their knack for irresistible hooks.

"Animated Violence" follows as perhaps the album's most immediate track, its driving rhythm and catchy chorus proving that even at their most aggressive, Oh Sees haven't forgotten how to write a proper song. The interplay between Hellman's thunderous bass and Rincon's relentless drumming creates a foundation so solid you could build monuments on it, while Dwyer's guitar slashes and burns across the top like lightning across a storm-darkened sky.

The album's centerpiece, "Keys to the Castle," showcases the band's more experimental tendencies without sacrificing their newfound brutality. Clocking in at nearly nine minutes, it's a journey through multiple movements, from meditative beginnings through crushing climaxes and back into ethereal territory. It's here that Oh Sees prove they can be both crushing and contemplative, often within the same measure.

"Drowned Beast" and "Raw Optics" continue the assault with unrelenting intensity, the former featuring some of Dwyer's most unhinged vocal performances over a backdrop of churning rhythms, while the latter strips things down to their essential elements – drums, bass, and guitar operating as a single, devastating organism. The production throughout, handled by Dwyer himself, captures every nuance of the band's power while maintaining the raw edge that makes Oh Sees so compelling.

What makes "Orc" particularly special within the Oh Sees catalog is its sense of purpose. While previous albums sometimes felt like collections of great songs, "Orc" operates as a cohesive statement. The sequencing is impeccable, each track flowing naturally into the next while maintaining its own distinct character. Even the album's quieter moments, like the haunting "Paranoise," serve the greater narrative of a band exploring the darker corners of their sound.

In the years since its release, "Orc" has rightfully taken its place among Oh Sees' finest achievements. It represents a perfect synthesis of everything the band had learned about dynamics, songcraft, and sheer sonic power. For newcomers to Dwyer's ever-expanding universe, it serves as an ideal entry point – accessible enough to hook casual listeners while retaining the experimental edge that keeps longtime fans engaged.

More than just another notch in an already impressive discography, "Orc" stands as proof that Oh Sees remain one of modern rock's most vital forces, capable of reinventing themselves while staying true to their core mission of creating music that's both intellectually stimulating and viscerally thrilling. In an era of endless nostalgia and safe choices,