With ‘Loathing Light’, ONI have delivered a body of work that boasts an even bigger sound than their debut. The collection arrives with conviction, passion and depth, swaying wildly back and forth between vast, uplifting anthems and dark, raw confessions. It will go down as a mission statement for the young band, created by singer/lyricist Jake Oni, together with his closest allies, producer Josh Wilbur (Megadeth, Avenged Sevenfold, Gojira) and Lamb Of God guitarist, Mark Morton.
Jake explains, “The songs are very much written from the first person, with a lot of ‘I’ and ‘me’ in the lyrics as opposed to ‘us’ or ‘you. The music encompasses many different vibes, both light and dark. I really challenged myself to address difficult things I’ve gone through over the years.”
The result is 10 tracks spanning an emotional gamut, from all-out brutality to introspective desperation. Songs like ‘Against My Sins’ and ‘Heart To Stone’ wouldn’t sound totally out of place in a playlist alongside Of Mice & Men or Linkin Park. Yet the bludgeoning technicality – which earned ONI fans while touring with technical heavyweights Gojira – remains, making ‘Loathing Light’ a diverse and definitive album.
“Mark [Morton] helped me through a lot of stuff with mental health and addiction, things he’s gone through himself,” Jake says. “He’s definitely been a big support for me. I worked with him before with a full band, but this time, it was just he and I, writing an entire album together, which was killer. I don’t want anyone in there besides Mark and Josh when I’m recording vocals. They get what I can do. They know my limitations and how to utilize my talents like nobody else really can fully.”
Jake and Mark had previously collaborated on Morton’s debut solo album, ‘Anesthetic’, with Jake executive producing and co-writing the collection’s #6 Active Rock radio hit, ‘Cross Off’ with Morton, Wilbur and the late Chester Bennington.
“Music is such a gift,” Jake says thoughtfully. “If you can make music, and people respond to it? I’ve learned not to take that for granted. Count your blessings because the opportunity to make music is such a great one. We should always be grateful. Because it’s the coolest job anyone could do.”
