Review: O.A.R. – Risen

O.A.R. (short for Of a Revolution) has always been an important breakthrough band in my hometown of Montgomery County, Maryland. The band formed in 1996 in Rockville, MD with the original members of lead vocalist/guitarist Marc Roberge, drummer Chris Culos, guitarist Richard On, and bassist Benj Gershman. After the modest success of their first two albums (The Wanderer, and Soul’s Aflame), which was built off of a strong word-of-mouth and relentless touring, the band set to record their first major stamp on the music world with Risen produced by John Alagia (Dave Matthews, John Mayer). Much to the band’s surprise, and label’s delight, the record debuted at #11 on the Billboard “Internet Sales” and #66 of Billboard’s “New Artists” Charts respectively. It was becoming clearer that the “local band” was poised for big things, as this record would open the door for multiple major label offers. O.A.R. have recorded eight studio albums to date and still continue to play to large crowds all across the world due to their energetic live shows and armed with a discography of well-known songs. Risen features three re-recorded songs from their sophomore effort, Soul’s Aflame and one from their debut, The Wanderer. This set of songs are still widely used in their live sets, and feature some of their longtime fans’ favorite tracks.