Who are Ostraka?
Ostraka’s touchstones are always: riffs, hooks, melody, invention.
Taking inspiration from grunge, power-groove, heavy metal and other aggressive genres, Ostraka assimilate these sounds into something all their own, simultaneously bludgeoningly hard and irresistibly melodic.
The band is as indebted to art, literature, history, cinema and the cultures of other countries as it is to other bands, and each of these find expression in nooks and crannies of their music.
CREATING MAGISTRI
Scottish alternative-metal band Ostraka formed in 2023, taking their name from an ancient political action and their sound from a shared love of bands like Alice in Chains, Deftones, Mastodon, and Pantera.
After a few years of garage jamming and playing local gigs, Gav (vocals and guitar), Colin (guitar), George (bass), and Jamie (drums) released their debut album Magistri in December 2025.
Magistri was written and mixed in Jamie’s garage, initially the band took a traditional track-by-track approach, but by the midway point they decided to record the remaining songs live, to preserve the energy of their performances, with each of the final four tracks captured in a single take.
Taking just as much inspiration from grunge, power-groove, and metal as they do from art, literature, and history, Ostraka assimilate an array of shared influences into something uniquely their own. This confluence of touchstones results in a sound which is both hard and melodic in equal measure, built on the band’s foundations of tight riffs and big choruses.