Review by Greg on December 9, 2025.

As a huge connoisseur of The Simpsons (dangerously too much so, in fact), as well as a firm believer that Futurama's best moments might rival literally every other awesome thing in the world, I just couldn't let this band slide with a name like that. True, they play a genre I'm not well-versed in, and to be honest I wasn't really sure what to expect from a 'progressive/doom' label, except that there wouldn't be anything for the overcrowded stoner subgenre, mercifully.

For a long time, the only sign of life of these four gentlemen from Saxony, Germany, had been a single track from 2018 ('King Came Calling'), but last October they managed to release a full EP. It might not get more DIY than this, but it does sound properly recorded – that is, not on a smartphone laid upon the bass amp. If the idea was to put proper care into making Octant sound the best they could, while on a budget and with minimal post-production, they definitely succeeded and I totally dig this. Is the artwork likely AI-generated? Honestly, yes. Does it look cool? Also yes, well aware that it would look awfully noisy on an LP, but I don't think that is in the band's future plans.

Vocals were the thing I was the most curious about, and you get to hear them almost immediately. Much to my dismay, frontman Manne doesn't quite sound like Lrrr, favouring instead a sort of Glenn Danzig-like baritone style. Amusingly enough, I keep hearing a pinch of Layne Staley in the way he employs vibrato at the end of his notes. He's also joined by the ear-piercing screams of bassist Martin (which are the reason the band has a 'screamo' tag on Bandcamp, I suspect), which usually find their place in the heavier sections scattered around and give an extra kick to the chunky riffing. Note that I said 'usually', since in both 'Hide Away' and 'Under This Place' these screeching shrieks are laid atop quieter parts (especially the endings) and give almost post-black vibes I'm not the biggest fan of.

Thus, me recommending 'Dalek! (Reign In Fire)' as the highlight seems rather logical, but it's also the all-around best, featuring an engaging, spacey detour in the middle leading quite flawlessly to the blackened acceleration, and also the highest catchiness potential in the vocal parts. 'Under This Place' isn't that far behind, though, and it gets way more intense than your average doom band.

When I say Omicron Persei 8 sound pretty much unique, I might not have the necessary experience in underground progressive doom gems. And yet, something tells me that, even if I did, I would have a hard time finding somebody who sounds like them. I'll certainly stay tuned for more.

Rating: 7 out of 10