Omnium Gatherum – Origin
Release Date: 5th November 2021
Label: Century Media
Pre-Order/Pre-Save
Genre: Melodic Death Metal, AORDM.
FFO: Insomnium, Dark Tranquility, Amon Amarth.
Review By: Paul Cairney
I first came across Omnium Gatherum (OG for short) back in 2013, having the great pleasure of reviewing, the rather excellent, ‘Beyond’, an album that is still on regular rotation on my playlist. This led me to investigate their back catalogue as well as checking out their albums since.
Origin is the bands 9th studio album, and whilst it doesn’t hit you with the forearm smash delivered by the aforementioned ‘Beyond’, it doesn’t disappoint either, which considering the changes in the band in the lead up to the recording of the album is somewhat surprising. Essentially, the engine room of the band changed, with Mikko Kivistö assuming bass guitar duties and Atte Pesonen beating the skins.
These changes have coincided with the band themselves making subtle changes to the sound. To be fair, OG have become more melodic throughout their career, however, the band themselves describe their current sound as, ‘a powerful mixture of older deadly roots and newer AOR-vibes’. The upshot of this, is that you need to accept the band’s journey, or Origin will not happen for you.
Opening track proper, ‘Prime’, follows a decent instrumental opener and utterly fails to hit home. This is one song that doesn’t take you on the journey and had me fearful that OG had taken Adult Orientated Death Metal (their term) too far. Fortunately, ‘Paragon’ announces itself in your earholes with the confident swagger you expect from the band, alleviating any fear that was building. This is followed by, ‘Reckoning’, which rattles along with its punchy riff and Jukka Pelkonen’s recognizable vocals.
Speaking of vocals, it is interesting to note that founding member, guitarist Markus Vanhala, has not only played all guitars on the album, but has also delivered clean vocals throughout the album, a task done admirably well in conjunction with Kivistö. It is definitely a welcome addition to the dynamic of the band, and he sounds great, especially on ‘Fortitude’, another decent song.
The biggest issue remains, though. Is Origin heavy enough to be a Melodic Death Metal album? OG have stretched the boundaries of the genre over the years, easing off the typical tropes expected in a Death Metal album. If it wasn’t for Pelkonen’s growly vocals, it would be a stretch to include this in any form of extreme metal genre.
But this is one of the things that we love about OG. They are not your typical Melodic Death Metal band, you can make out the vocals in every track, the dirty vocals are audible, you can even sing along (thanks for the lyric sheet, Century Media PR). When you listen to a band who are supremely confident in their sound and direction, you can’t help but be carried along for the ride.
Origin is an Omnium Gatherum album, and as such, it is an album that not only deserves your respect, it earns it.
All that is required now is a Scottish date on their next European Tour!
(3.5 / 5)
