Release date: April 6, 2025

Oath Sc is a Heavy Metal band that originated from Edinburgh, Scotland with a demo and a 4 track EP titled as “Legion” (2018). Oath Sc have been consistently releasing great material ever since 2018, such as the full length albums: “Legacy” (2019), “Computer Warrior” (2020) and “Hallowed Illusions” (2022). With a EP, “Synthetic Dreams” that was released in 2021. A small fast-forward to now, Oath SC has proudly released their new live album, “The Power of Three”; which was recorded during a show in the Scotland Rocks Radio Live And Louder sessions earlier last year and it is out now through their Bandcamp!

Review

Oath SC began with the energetic track titled “Gatekeeper”, which is an instant hook and a kick to the face with a fast paced tempo and speedy riffs and sick drumming present. “Gatekeeper” is a track off the album titled “Computer Warrior”. The performance and delivery of this song is raw and just as speedy as the album version. A great song to start off a show, perfectly setting the tone and mood for the rest of the set!

The second track on the live album is a song off the previously mentioned album, “Computer Warrior” which is titled “Insomnia”. Another great track to keep the momentum going for the crowd at the Scotland Rocks Radio Live and Louder sessions. It is just as energetic and commanding as the opening song, it is also just as equally raw throughout the whole performance.

The third track, “Disposable” from the album “Hallowed Illusions” is up next, still continuing the speedy and raw dynamics all throughout. It is a very catchy track, “disposableee..disposabblee!” It is fast, fun and the crowd in the recording definitely seem to have enjoyed listening to this track, which is very understandable because it is a solid track overall!

Up next, the track “Computer Warrior” is played, it is a song that does justice to keeping and maintaining the energetic momentum for the crowd and the band alike. The raw sound of the live performance does seem to give the track more of an edgy atmosphere to this specific track which is really cool to give a listen to.

The fifth song on the track list is “Caged”, from the album “Computer Warrior”. The track is headbang worthy, almost groovy in a way but definitely a solid song in this live rendition. The guitar melodies and drumming parts all have that edge and rawness in them, and the guys do a good job to keep it just as flowy and noteworthy as in the album version.

“Blinded by The Sun” also begins just as energetically and with a speedy yet melodic intro, instantly snatching the crowd back into the music. The track has that galloping melody that almost reminds me of a Maiden track all at the same time, but as the song is being performed, you can feel the energy emanating from the instruments and from Steve’s vocals.

“A Dream of Solitude” from the EP “Legion” was also performed, and it was a great track that was also awesomely delivered by the guys to the crowd that evening. This live version of the song is just as kick ass as the album version. Steven’s vocals are filled with that sentiment and emotion that I believe gave more life to this track during the performance. The long is mostly instrumental towards the middle and end of the song and it showcases everyone’s talents wonderfully.

The second to last song on the tracklist is “Take This Oath” from the full-length album “Hallowed Illusions”. The track itself is a solid track off the said album, its melodic and sort of gives Heavy Load vibes throughout the song. The live version is of course more “unfiltered” and with more grit. Personally I enjoyed this live version better because of the organic nature of the live performance.

The final track, “The Carpathian” also from the EP titled “Legion” was the concluding song to the setlist that night. It hits just as hard as the other tracks throughout the set list, it is heavy and upbeat all at the same time with that nice balance to the groovy-ness and again the galloping tempos in the song.

Conclusion

Overall, this live recording/ live rendition of the songs was pretty cool to check out, with the rawness and passion that Steve Waddell brought along with Ritchie Davidson on Bass/ vocals and Angemy Mota on Drums. The live album and its cover art accurately describe the band as a trio for the set, hence the title, “The Power of Three” which I thought was really cool as well. The performance by the guys was sincere, organic, and purely energetic all across the set. Do give the full albums a listen as well!

TheNwothm Score: 8/10

Links

Bandcamp:https://oath1.bandcamp.com/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/oathsc/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/oath_sc/?hl=en

Label: Independent