Pop-rock group Otenki brings a bold new sound to the table with their most recent release “The War Outside”. Rock instrumental styles mixed with poppy vocals and electronic sampling proves to be an exciting and unique mix. The band is relatively up and coming even though they formed in '04, but they have a very mature sound and fit in the current mix of bands in this scene of music.

The popular thing today in music seems to be to mix many different genres together to form one sound and although some bands stick out more than others, Otenki brings a more balanced form of the technique. The touch of electronic sampling in a few of their songs keeps things interesting, but not overwhelming to the consistent pop-rock style. While some of the songs seem standard and catchy, others are more original and dancy, like “Ghosts” (my personal favorite off of the album). The band mixes these styles well and creates a sound that can appeal to people familiar with the genre as well as attract new listeners.

While most of the bands I listen to are of the hardcore/metal-core style, Otenki was a great refresher from the usual hardcore band. The version I had listened to had a few remixes and even a Spanish version of a song on the album that I thought were a bit of a buzz-kill. It broke up the flow of the album and kind of threw a curve-ball while listening. Not to be discouraged though, the rest of the album is great and these are mentioned as being extra tracks for fans of the band.

Overall Otenki brings a great new sound for anyone looking to catch on to something poppy but still original. “The War Outside” sets a good standard for bands looking to mix genres into one style as they keep things balanced and still maintain a fundamental sound underneath. This album was a lot of fun to jam out to and I thought the electronics kept it separated from just any old pop-rock band. Keep an eye out for Otenki and pick up “The War Outside” as soon as possible!

Rating: 9/10

-Nic