Omnium Gatherum - The Red Shift
1. Nail
2. A Shadowkey
3. Chameleon Skin
4. No Breaking Point
5. The Return
6. Shapes and Shades
7. The Redshifter
8. Greeneyes
9. The Second Flame
10. Song For December
11. Distant Light Highway
Omnium Gatherum are growing rapidly in popularity and with ‘The Red Shift’ hitting stores, this popularity will undoubtedly continue to ascend. This slab of melodic death metal is innovative, ultimately rendering it a completely compelling listen.
This opus was mastered by metal all-rounder Dan Swanö and coincidentally, the band uses clean vocals (in addition to growls and whispers) that sound like a cross-breed between Swanö and Katatonia’s Jonas Renske, a much welcomed change from the usual metalcore-influenced whiney singing melodic death metal bands usually utilize when they engrain their music with clean voices. In direct contrast with the singing are abrasive guitars, as can be heard on ‘No Breaking Point’. ‘The Redshifter’ is a ballsy track and overall quite a memorable tune. Similarly, ‘Nail’ contains attitude with a clear hard rock influence and a power metal styled keyboard, which keeps the song gripping – a prime selection for an opener.
‘Song For December’ is a breath-taking instrumental, relaxing and emotive. Featuring traces of progressive metal, the album is varied further and a poignant smooth bass employed effectively marks this a unique and grand instrumental. On ‘Greeneyes’ the bass is a muscular one at the song’s conception before the number evolves into a disheartening mood. Various emotions manifest throughout this album, from the uplifting feeling on the racy ‘Chameleon Skin’ to the sorrowful mood on ‘The Return’.
With ‘The Red Shift’, Omnium Gatherum have recorded their most mature effort to date, emphasising fresh ideas and masses of promise. The only tainting attribute of this album is the presence of insipid and generic guitar riffs. Otherwise, this observation demands to be listened from start to end.
Review by Elena Francis
‘The Red Shift’ is out now on Candlelight Records.
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