London metal quartet, Opensight, are the type of performers who’ll look good in top hats and wedding suits. But behind the smiles and polished tunesmithery is where you see the real band. They formed in 2002 and released their debut record in 2008 before a long hibernation. This ended in 2022 when they returned with their Mondo Fiction LP. Older, wiser, and better at what they do, it’s no surprise that they rein in their progressive tendences on album number three. Most of what the produce here is worthy of a second listen.
Your first reaction might be an ominous gasp of “Zee Germans are coming,” when you hear the solemn trumpets and military snares of opener, ‘Procesión de La Muerte’. The fear should subside when your ears absorb the epic sweep of Ennio Morricone waiting on the sidelines. It’s a curtain-opener, and when they go metal, they do it like Sepultura under the supervision of dramatic keyboard presets. Listen how ‘Killer Outfit’ switches between a Mike Patton-esque swing and a detective drama, all the while united under the power of chunky guitar riffs. One thing is clear: this band can write catchy songs in the same mischievous manner as Twelve Foot Ninja and Psykup. Vocalist, Ivan David, finds it easy to transition from melodious rock voice to a crooning soul in the blink of an eye.
When was the last time you heard a neo-1960s exotica in a metal song? ‘In Plain Sight’ is clever because it rocks yet it hides its aggression behind superficial etiquette. Will it explode? The answer is no, but the chugging guitars and high tempo are enough to keep you engaged. You’ll spend most of the time looking over your shoulder for mobsters in ‘Defying Eye’. The trumpets and palm-muted riffs merge as easily as soil and clay here. Take a step back and this is what you wanted Faith No More’s Album of the Year effort from 1997 to sound like. The spooky dance steps co-exist with suited and booted musicians who like nothing better than to beef up your experience with muscular guitars. Yet it raises the question: could this music benefit from an aggressive streak in the vocal booth? The dynamics and pacing are strong enough to support a murderous voice, but it’s not needed. ‘Iris (I Rise)’ could be from any classic Waltari album of the 1990s and might even remind you of their charismatic Finnish frontman, Kärtsy Hatakka. Observe how Ivan David pushes his voice to its highest possible baritone range here without cracking. It’s a trick the post-punk singers excelled at in the 1980s
The only predictable thing on this record is the adherence to strict verse-chorus structures. Inserting a breakdown ritual into the middle-eight will only work if you do it in full deathcore berserker mode rather than as a halfway job. ‘Mantra’ is a vast improvement on‘Broken Vow’ in the way it wrestles you up against the wall, yet you wonder if they gave their old Spandau Ballet vinyl a spin to find inspiration for the soulful vocal harmonies. It ought to fail, but it does the opposite because they break free of the orthodox structures in favour of a spot of peeping tom voyeurism.
Many things warrant applause: the break beats of ‘Heist’ are delectable to the ears, and the vocal lines are as agreeable as a box of Maltesers. Likewise, the funky wah-wah pedals and melodramatic rhythms of ‘Final Cut’ remind us that Opensight are top class entertainers with B-movie smiles.
The next challenge is to make this work in a dangerous setting where the listener has no choice but to follow the momentum rather than pick and choose when to engage with it.
Kirk Houghton
Verdict
Release Date:15/05/2026
Record Label: Inertial Music
Standout tracks: Killer Outfit; Mantra; Final Cut
Suggested Further Listening: Twelve Foot Ninja – Vengeance (2021), Psykup – Hello Karma! (2021), Tardigrade Inferno – Hush (2026)