Omnium Gatherum – Origin (Century Media)
Friday, 29th October 2021
Ever the lauded melodic death metal group, Omnium Gatherum always set a high bar for themselves with each new album. Finding themselves in a position where they continue to increase the ‘happier’ moments while still keeping that atmospheric and occasionally downtrodden feel, their last few albums have been really chocked-full of melodies that stick embed themselves in your head and cast a mandatory smile. Origin continues this trend, allowing for some incredibly memorable moments.
What OG continues to be the masters of is finding a way to keep their sound fresh, offering just enough little tweaks to grab the ear while maximizing the sheer catchiness of it all. Origin has some of the most addictive melodies that the band has written, such as the exhilarating “Friction” and the absolutely dreamy “Infected Mushroom.” It is also in balancing the more aggressive and upbeat moments with more atmospheric and melancholic that keeps the listener on their toes. While “Solemn” manages to do this all in a single, near 9-minute track and takes things to some sweeping heights, the playful “Paragon” and “Tempest” do their best to provide epic riffs and vocal lines that will energize as much as they tickle the ear, while “Unity” offers some genuine moments of serenity. It’s quite thrilling to explore the way that melody is weaved into the tracks, and how they manage to tuck some of them away, offering some nuggets to those who want to really dig deep, while others can still get plenty of enjoyment out of the initial listens with upfront hooks.
Origin doesn’t do much to twist the overall framework of Omnium Gatherum, but it doesn’t need to either. They continue to explore some slightly different territory that’s firmly rooted in the genre, and continue to somehow up the ante for some grandiose and breathtaking melodies that will quickly grab your attention. A strong release that shows them continuing to operate at the genre’s highest levels.
