Inside Out U.S.
2003
OSI
Office of Strategic Influence - Limited Edition
About This Album
A veritable prog metal "supergroup," O.S.I. -- the "Office of Strategic Influence" -- was formed by Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos, Chroma Key and former Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore, and Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, with help from Gordian Knot bassist Sean Malone. Like similar collaborations, such as Transatlantic or Liquid Tension Experiment (many of which feature the same rotating cast of six or eight talented players), O.S.I.'s debut album is more than the sum of its disparate parts. Office of Strategic Influence masterfully blends '70s-styled progressive rock, heavily influenced by King Crimson and Pink Floyd, with an '80s-era heavy metal aesthetic, and the avant-garde sound of underground indie rockers such as Max Vague.

The album-opening instrumental, "The New Math (What He Said)," is a fast-paced rocker, Matheos' guitar clamoring for attention above the din of Portnoy's crashing rhythms and Moore's manic keyboard work. Like Rick Wakeman-era Yes on steroids, the song showcases the threesome's musical abilities and jump-starts Office of Strategic Influence with a jolt. The following material offers little to disappoint, the band keeping up the frantic pace on songs such as "When You're Ready" and "Dirt from a Holy Place," the performances crackling with electricity and passion.
Track List

Disc 1 (try track 1)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

Disc 2

1.
2.
3.
4.