Consider This! Osees
A selection of my favourite Osees records for your listening pleasure
Today I’d like to talk about one of my favourite bands of all-time, that being Osees, previously known as Thee Oh Sees, Oh Sees, and a dozen other names. No really, look it up.
My infatuation with Osees came as a result of one very particular problem that needed solving: It was 2018, I was a die hard King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard fan, and the band was hot off the heels of releasing five fucking albums the previous year, so they understandably took a bit of time off. This would not do as my relationship with the band was as a vampire is to human blood, so at the direction of the internet, I turned to Thee Oh Sees to satiate me while I waited. I listened to one album and it quickly became apparent to me that this band would be so much more than the light snack that I thought it would be. I tore through their discography at a rabid pace and I to this day stay caught up completely on their releases. And like King Gizzard, they have a LOT of releases, so allow me to break them down for you and give you my top recommendations from their rather intimidating catalog.
Carrion Crawler / The Dream EP
This is technically a double EP, though it flows and sounds like a standard album and is exactly such in my book. I'd consider this to be the best place to start with Thee Oh Sees as it's a solid overall representation of their sound (if such a thing is possible given how much it’s varied throughout the years). You’ve possibly already heard of “The Dream” as it’s one of their most popular tracks and one they perform live at almost every show. Here the band take a fairly lo-fi approach, incorporating crunchy guitar tones into a garage punk formula, with equal emphasis on “garage” and “punk”. Good mix of fast, slow, and heavy, and lots of hoots and hollers to boot.
Floating Coffin
My personal favourite of theirs, though I doubt it'll be yours. Floating Coffin is special to me primarily because the tone of the guitar causes me to experience genuine euphoria, like it was recorded specifically with my personal palette in mind. I've never really seen anyone else mention this so I must assume it's just a me thing, but they really, really made the guitar sound incredible on this record. This is why John Dwyer is my all-time favourite guitar player, technical skill aside, he knows how to to utilize his instrument to its fullest potential. I’ve yet to hear anyone else make a guitar sound as consistently good as Dwyer does. Expect much of the same as you heard on Carrion Crawler / The Dream, but with higher fidelity and a healthy dose of acid.
Mutilator Defeated at Last
This is the album that got me into Thee Oh Sees, and boy do I often find myself wanting to give this the #1 spot. First of all, “Mutilator Defeated at Last” is an INCREDIBLE album title, and the artwork is bloody fantastic as well. Second of all, the entire band sounds marvelous here, with the guitar given a clean mix that cuts deep into the sound stage and drums that sound like they're beating in deep ritual. Lots of 70’s heavy metal / hard rock vibes on this one, with the usual weirdness distributed appropriately.
Orc
It's so hard for me to reduce this discography down to only five albums. I might've put their previous record, A Weird Exits, here if I had more space, but I feel that Orc deserves the limelight in this instance. Not that it's objectively better, though I personally believe it to be, but rather because it signals a massive change in the Osees sound. We're seeing the band digging into the experimental sounds they've only mildly flirted with up to this point and it's working out brilliantly. This album is frantic, it's zoned out, and it's drenched in acid. Again, Dwyer manages to capture the perfect sound for his guitar and cranks the volume up LOUD this time. If you're into super fucked up heavy psych, you'll love this.
Protean Threat
Osees at this point were very much up to their necks in their experimental phase, with many of their records feeling almost like a variety show in terms of how much they bend their sound to cover a myriad of different styles. Protean Threat is no exception to this, but I feel it is a bit more consistent than their previous two albums, Face Stabber and Smote Reverser. More importantly, it just has a ~vibe~ that sits well with me more than it probably does with others. Protean Threat is a good blend of hard chaos and zoned out psychedelia, or in easier to understand terms, garage psych with lots of synthesisers and krautrock influence.
Want more? I was going to stop at five albums, but to hell with it, here is a list of every Osees record I would recommend.
My personal favourites
The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In (2008)
Super lo-fi acid garage punk, very weird and out there. Sounds like it was recorded in a huge wooden closet.
A Weird Exits (2016)
Almost a continuation of Mutilator. Sharper around the edges, a little louder, a little weirder (hence the title).
Smote Reverser (2018)
Very psychedelic, like Orc. Incredible guitar work on a few of these tracks. Album art does NOT match the music, but still very good nonetheless.
Face Stabber (2019)
Logical continuation of Smote Reverser’s sound. All over the place genre wise, hardcore punk, krautrock, weird psych shit, etc.
Metamorphosed (2020)
Not for short song enjoyers. Only five tracks, but one is 14 minutes and one is 22. If you like krautrock jams, this is for you. Otherwise just listen to the first three tracks and you’ll be fine.
A Foul Form (2022)
Just hardcore garage punk. Pretty left-field for Osees, but it works out brilliantly somehow.
And if you still want more
Help (2009)
Old school garage psych, some really good jams on this one.
Warm Slime (2010)
“Warm Slime” and “I Was Denied” are the highlights here, especially the former. If you’re a Gizz fan and you like “Head On / Pill”, you’ll enjoy this one.
Castlemania (2011)
One of their weirdest and quirkiest albums for sure. Pretty lo-fi, short and sweet tracks, it’s a hoot.
Intercepted Message (2023)
The beginning of Osees synth punk arc. Not all of it hits, but some of hits hard.
Sorcs 80 (2024)
Dwyer hangs up the guitar for a little while and goes all in on the synths. I don’t love it, but it’s a good vibe.
Abomination Revealed at Last (2025)
The “sequel” I guess to Mutilator Defeated at Last. Kind of a return to form for the band, very much sounds like how they sounded 10 years ago or so. Hope they continue doing this because it’s where their strengths are in my opinion.
I hope this guide was helpful and gave you a new perspective on this band, assuming you weren’t already familiar with them. I have a few ideas on who to cover next, hopefully there won’t be as long of a wait next time!