Unlike so many of their peers, the Cleveland stoner-metal band Ohio Sky stick to taut arrangements and sharp songwriting on their debut album. The group keeps a tight rein on its psych influences, focusing more on billowing textures than extensive breaks. Guitarist Vince DiFranco's reverberating tenor sounds remarkably crisp and confident. Highlights include the pulsing "Anthem for the Artist" and "Instructions for Burying the Ark," which is buoyed by melancholy waves of slashing guitar. Plus, the album's tense title track boasts some of Ohio Sky's most savage guitar work. It's easily one of the best local releases of the young year.
— Chris Parker
