Progressive Metalcore sextet ONI was formed in Ontario, Canada, in 2014. The band has released one previous full-length album, and now return with their second, titled "Loathing Light." The album contains ten tracks. "The Lie" is the first cut. It opens with tense tones that lead to a chaotic sound pretty quickly. A combination of harsh vocals in the verses and cleans in the chorus lets you know what genre you are listening to. I get a bit of a SOILWORK or CIPHER SYSTEM vibe to their sound. "Against My Sins" begins with a slower and more emotive sound. The Progressive elements are subdued through the first two songs. It sounds like straight Metalcore to me so far, which is just fine.

"Secrets" features both Iggy Pop and Randy Blythe. Randy's vocals are part of his signature sound, and you can tell them right away. Although the riffs are just a bit simple, the meaty bass notes are nice. "Awaken" begins with machine-gun drumming and fast-picked guitars. The harsh vocals are pretty thick and the cleans bring melody with them. "War Ender" features some rapped vocals, and this must be who City Morgue is. Although it is not really my cup of tea, you have to admire the band for their diversity in sound.

"Heart to Stone" hears the sound slowed down a bit to take in more poignant qualities. The harmonies in the chorus shoot straight through the clouds. "Battery Tomb" is just as it sounds...a bruising cut of a song that is both heavy and aggressive. I can finally here the keyboards/xylosynth which has been missing on much of the album. The breakdown is pretty chunky. "Sequence Static" begins with a slower and more punishing groove. I like the eerie atmospheric elements behind the weighted riff. "Gasoline" is a faster burning song where the flames lick at your legs. The vocals are heightened in this song, which really goes for broke. "Golden" closes the album. It opens with solemn and clean guitars, along with expressive clean vocals. Could it be an ode to the movie "The Outsiders?" You know the one...where Ponyboy tells Johnny to "stay golden." Either way, it's a charming and sweet closing song.

Overall, this was a solid album that had enough heavy elements to tickle my Metal side, as well as some more emotional ones that fancied my more melodic side. The songs were performed with a genuine and sincere energy that you can tell comes from the band's core. I would have liked to have heard more synths in the final mix...they can really bring another element to the table in this genre. The band has a bright future if they can incorporate some more diversity into their sound.