Omnium Gatherum return after three years. A band that is one of the best in their sound and personally kept me company many times with their music. The Finns have been in the scene since 1996 and this is their ninth full-length album. The only constant member is the guitarist Markus Vanhala, who since 2011 holds the same position in the mighty Insomnium but without neglecting his obligations with his “child”, since the releases of Omnium Gatherum are frequent.
The band’s music is obviously melodic death metal, Finnish way of course. In other words, it has this highly characteristic atmosphere and the melancholic melodies that bands of different styles from this country (and not only) have become accustomed to. The listener will find common ground with their compatriots Insomnium and Wolfheart as well as…external students who excel in contributing to this sound, such as Be’lakor (Australia) and In Mourning (Sweden).
The rhythms are exclusively mid-tempo, with the guitars being sometimes heavy and sometimes addictively melodic. The vocals are mostly classic death growls, but there are also a few clear ones which fortunately are exactly that: a few. But where they are used, they give a very beautiful and different atmosphere. In addition to the nine songs of the basic version (lasting fifty minutes), in the limited one you will find an unusual cover of “In Front Of Me” by the electronic duo Infected Mushroom.
In conclusion, “Origin” is a very good melodic death metal album. For me it can not reach or surpass the greatness of “The Redshift” (2008) and “New World Shadows” (2011) but that does not diminish its quality at all. I do not think it will leave unsatisfied the band’s fans but it will manage to win over those who have not yet discovered Omnium Gatherum. It’s never too late.
