Out now is the sophomore EP from the adventurous two musicians behind Rule of Two. Using their immense creativity and developing catchy music with aclassc vibe straight from the 80s, but still very modern with an Indie approach to Darkwave, Electronic, and Dreampop.
On these pages, we normally write about hard music, mostly based on the metal formula. But sometimes, we take a side step and look at other musical avenues, especially when they are made by musicians normally based in the Mtal and Hard Rock sphere. Like the two long-serving members of the Oslo metal underground, Ronny Flissundet and Kristian Liljan, who form Rule of Two. In this musical project, they let loose their creativity using electronic instruments, the occasional guitar, piano, and engaging floating vocals to come along with captivating music that always conveys a theme, often so strong it provides earworms for days.
It is easy to be overwhelmed by all the possibilities that new modern musical technology offers, and make a mess of things. But not from these two seasoned musicians who finetune the instruments to each other and amalgam it with carefully sung lyrics in drifting melodic themes. They showed us this on their first EP and through the singles they dropped during the year we have behind us. They have refined their style and put together seven carefully crafted songs. They even have a cover song that works well.
“Peeling” opens the EP with a flow of hurried synth sounds and a fast upbeat rhythm laying the basis for a light good-humored theme about peeling the skin of one’s feelings and seeing what is below. The light 80s mode makes this an engaging tune and might take you swinging to the dance floor as you sing along with the optimistic vibes: “Removing layers / For the inner core quest / What hidden revelations can be found”. There is a shift in the flow, lifting it up with stronger, engaging vocals as the synth-based music intensifies and swings along to support the lyrics “So hold back your tears / Keep scratching the surface / until your fingers bleed”.
Rapid synths fade in to open the next song, ”Eye Fold”, and beats begin at the same time as reflective vocals emerge over the keys and thumping hard beats. The vocals tell us to ”Stop making noises / I have heard them all one billion times” and it becomes a song balancing reflective relief and some regrets as it drifts on the engaging melodic theme that eastablish the song. The beats lift it up and the rhythm and harmonies in the background fill the spaces between the beats and the line “I don´t need you anymore” is repeated.
”Golden Hour” is a song that wants to comfort a struggling person, ”Hey you / Would you like some help licking those wounds?”. As with the other songs, it is utterly melodic as it sails forward led by streaming vocals until a soft surge lifts the song. Higher notes emerge with a warm piano at the bottom and a slightly distorted guitar. Together with the beats, it constructs a wall of sound immersing the caring vocals until it ends with warm tunes from the fading piano.
The EP continues with ”Man of No Use” which can be interpreted as a song about something many of us experience, mid-life crisis. The song fuses into a part with an engaging melody, capable of giving you an earworm ”Who am I / If I am not amused / A man out of time, out of place / A man of no use.”. The voice emerges, comes from all directions as if thrown on the protagonist´s musings. It becomes engaging as the vocals pan out asking repeatedly “Who am I / A Man of no use” to the tune of a repetitive theme from the sounds and a guitar.
And then comes the surprise as the band covers ”All Good Things (Come To An End)” by million-selling Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. And it works, of course, it works. The song has a lyrical line that goes, ”Flames to dust, / Lovers to friends / Why do all good / Things come to an end?”. Thus, for me, they reflect the theme of the previous song. But the layered upbeat music that surrounds the calm and wondering vocals takes its cue from this EP´s first song. Rule of Two has made a lively pulsating version of the equally upbeat musical scope that Furtado has. It is quite an effort to create this version of the song, a nice version that is safely planted in the unique sound they have created for themselves.
As the EP is released in the middle of January it is quite fitting to have a song that might be interpreted as fighting to keep your own New Year´s resolutions when we have tried to turn back to “Year Zer0” and be better at some things. It is an engaging song with lots of beats and rhythms and drifting vocals, more engaged, now wishing to keep the promises made to oneself: ”Mocking, teases / Bits and pieces”. And the music pans out with the rhythms hurrying the slightly remorseful vocals ”Back to year Zer0”.
The closing song of the album, ”Cybele” contrasts the others as its main instrument is a strumming guitar and melodic synths supporting the clear vocals and melodic vocalizing as the beats support the flow forward. The song is floating relaxed forward, even with the beats as it is steered by the delicate vocals that seem careful and sensitive even a bit sad and reflective, singing ”I apologize / For shutting inside / But I must confess / That I learned from the best”. The song lifts itself in the end with cymbals glistening in the repetitive sonics.
These musicians are multi-artists, as their videos show (made by Kristian Liljan). Here is a brand new video for the song ”Golden Hour”. On their Youtube Channel you will find more spectacular videos for their songs.
When they released their first EP, they made a playlist for us compiling songs that inspired them to take their creativity in this new direction, and Thorsten did an interview with them.
