Omni of Halos – Omni of Halos
Release Date: 18th November 2021
Label: Lövely Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Indie Rock, Heavy Alt Rock.
FFO: Pablo Matisse, Sweet Teeth, Built to Spill, Dinosaur Jr.
Review By: Hillary Wisniewski
Gothenburg, Sweden has long been known for its diverse music scene, but I know the loyal Metal Epidemic readers are likely most familiar with various metal acts that hail from that area. This review will focus on a band outside of our favorite genre, as they should be on your radar regardless. Omni of Halos formed in late 2020 and is comprised of members of various Swedish punk and indie bands. For their self-titled debut album they teamed up with producer and engineer John Agnello; he is best known for his work with acts such as Dinosaur Jr. (a personal favorite of this reviewer), Sonic Youth, Mike Watt, Patti Smith, and Kurt Vile. Omni of Halos triumph with delivering an engaging blend of noise and pop. According to Henrik Hjelt Röstberg (singer/guitar/moog/songwriter) “We just wanted to play massive indie rock with no limitations or influences.” Let’s explore a bit more to see if these Swedes achieved their goal.
Generally speaking, this album is lo-fi and heavy. Listeners will be washed over in waves of warm, fuzzy distortion. The tones on this album harken back to 90s alternative; however, the sound is not just a generic mimicking of acts from that time period. There is influence from that time but with a modern twist. During my first listen through, I immediately thought of Built to Spill combined with vocal delivery reminiscent of At the Drive In or Harriet the Spy. Gotta say that I dig it quite a bit. There is no flashy guitar on this album; the goal is not to impress with technical ability, but rather to immerse you in the soundscape. This is not meant to imply that the musicianship is lacking, as that is not the case; the songs are catchy and also musically interesting. One thing that stood out to me was the juxtaposition between some lyrics and the upbeat energy of the music. Lines such as “Yeah you ruined it just like you ruin everything” and “Do you intend to run away every time you fuck up?” let all of us know that something went on that was not a good deal for someone. Here’s hoping that putting pen to paper sorted it out a bit.
A main drawback on this album for me was the slide guitar. Yes, it adds a unique element which helps set Omni of Halos apart from other acts. The use of it in every track made it a bit overkill, which takes away from being a special feature. Sorry, guys, it is just not my cup of tea. Aside from that, I really enjoyed this record and think it will go over well with anyone who appreciates their music a bit on the fuzzy side. Did they bring us massive indie rock? Sure did.
(4 / 5)
