Storm by Ötzi

From Oakland, California, ÖTZI pierces the heart with their dark and passionate style of post-punk. Known for their blistering stage show and intricate songwriting, Ötzi first tore through the punk and post-punk underground with their 2017 debut LP, Ghosts, which Revolver Magazine called “a modernized but timeless take on the genre.”

For their sophomore album, Ötzi joins Artoffact Records to release Storm, a powerful and dynamic work that channels all the emotions of drastic transformation. Immediately apparent on Storm is the interweaving of brooding vocal melodies with inspired chants, and the rich interplay of hypnotic guitar sounds with volcanic bass lines set to a propulsive beat. Singer and bassist Akiko Sampson’s soaring vocal clarity often takes a sharp dive into the gutteral, “as if they’re being piped in straight from the depths of hell,” as previously described by Bandcamp Daily. Singer and drummer Gina Marie responds with calls and chants, commanding the listener to stay focused as her syncopated punk style drives an infectious rhythm. Guitarist K. Dylan Edrich blankets the groundwork set by Akiko and Gina with airy chimes that segue into aggressive riffs. With the addition of the lush synth lines composed by Sampson, bright saxophone by latest member Winter Zora, and violin by Edrich, the album flows from the luxuriant and pensive self-reflection of “Moths” to a celebration of supportive love in “Hold Still”, to the hard-hitting resolve of “Ballad of Oiwa” and “Tunnels,” expressing in each track all of the joys and pains of cathartic self-renewal.

Ötzi weaves a dark web that bursts into explosive energy, pushing the boundaries of post-punk and punk. At times haunting and at times aggressive, Ötzi delivers a driving rhythm, double vocal melodies, wistful guitar washes and bellowing saxophone. Ötzi was founded by Akiko Sampson in 2014.

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