OU (band)

OU (pronounced oh) is a progressive metal band from Beijing, China, consisting of singer Lynn Wu, guitarist Zhang Jing, bassist Chris Cui, and drummer Anthony Vanacore. Their most recent album, II: Frailty, was released in April 2024.^[3]

OU
Origin	Beijing, China
Genres	Progressive metal[1] Progressive rock[2]
Years active	2021–present
Labels	InsideOut Music
Members	Lynn Wu Zhang Jing Chris Cui Anthony Vanacore
Website	https://www.outheband.com/

History

OU was formed by drummer and primary songwriter Anthony Vanacore, an American ex-pat who is fluent in Mandarin and originally moved to Beijing to work as a music teacher.^[4][5] Vanacore recruited guitarist Zhang Jing and bassist Chris Cui, both veterans of the local rock and jazz music community in Beijing, and later added singer Lynn Wu.^[6] The band lists Devin Townsend, The Gathering, and Radiohead as primary influences.^[7]

The band signed with the German label InsideOut Music before ever playing live.^[8] They are reportedly the first Chinese rock band to sign with a western record label.^[6] The head of InsideOut, Thomas Waber, described OU as "Very unique and modern, but still familiar sounding, a rare find these days!"^[9] InsideOut released the band's debut album One in May 2022.^[2][10] Lynn Wu gained notice from critics due to her completely Mandarin lyrics and experimental style; several reviewers have compared her singing to Bjork and Kate Bush.^[11][12][13] The album was also praised for mixing the band's primary progressive metal sound with jazz, electronica, and ambient styles.^[6][14]

OU gained the attention of labelmate Devin Townsend, who signed on to co-produce their second album.^[1][7] The album II: Frailty was released in April 2024, with Townsend contributing backing vocals on the song "Purge".^[14][15] Lynn Wu again earned praise from critics, with one reviewer describing her performance on the album as " tak[ing] it somewhere stranger and more unsettling".^[1] Another reviewer praised II: Frailty because "it’s effortless to fall prey to the polyrhythmic hypnosis that OU has mastered,"^[14] while The Prog Report called the album "one of the year’s most unique releases."^[3] Loudwire praised the album as one of the best progressive metal releases of 2024.^[16]

Members

• Lynn Wu – vocals
• Zhang Jing – guitar
• Chris Cui – bass
• Anthony Vanacore – drums, programming

Discography

Albums

• One (2022)
• II: Frailty (2024)