Search - Omnium Gatherum :: Years in Waste

Cold, melancholic and brutal

Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 05/30/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Omnium Gatherum are a Finnish death metal band playing cold, melancholic music that is often marked by fierce guitar riffs, interesting drum work, effective melodies and a very interesting singer to say the least. Antti Filppu's vocals may take a little while to absorb. Both his regular clean singing and death grunts are significantly different - he mostly spurts out the lyrics in a half-screamed and half-growled style, yet it is still easy to discern the words because his vocals are neither too distorted nor as brutal as, say the Cannibal Corpse or Six Feet Under vocalists.



Filppu's vocals mostly remind me of former Sentenced singer Taneli Jarva's style of delivery on the first The Black League album, Ichor. As a matter of fact, Years in Waste is also in the same vein, except that the music here is more on the technical and aggressive side. As with many other Finnish bands, Omnium Gatherum create a melancholic atmosphere despite their undeniable heaviness and raw approach to songwriting. The subtle employment of keyboards seems to add an extra layer that lends itself to plenty of comparisons that are hard to pinpoint. That said, Years in Waste is a very grim album, as both the artwork and song titles suggest, but it's completely devoid of gothic elements, which makes it very listenable. Then again, I don't really think they are a very melodic death metal band either, and certainly do not share anything common with bands like At The Gates or Katatonia as the label claims. Omnium Gatherum offer a harsher and more shadowy kind of metal occasionally mixed with sweeping guitar lines that spiral into punishing death metal riffs. The atmospheric vibe is also retained, as you will notice on "Black Seas Cry" which is the most The Black League tinged track with its acoustic guitars and constant tempo changes.



"No Moon & No Queen" sees the band merging their technical aspect with agile melodies that easily make this song stand out. There are also interesting guitar solos and a very competent drum work that focuses on adding the final touch on the songs "Gravesilence" and "Auguries Gone".



The album is slightly flawed though. I feel the drum sound really takes away from Jarmo Pikka's performance and the fact that they chose to open the album with one of the weakest tracks may turn some listeners off. Also, some of the riffs sound out of place, especially when the rhythm guitarist tends to follow the bass player (who is very integral on this disc) and merely plods along with him. There is plenty of crunch in the music, but they don't always develop into interesting melodies that stick to the mind, leaving you concentrating on the vocals, which I already said are an acquired taste. I personally like the singing, but can see many others being uninterested in Omnium Gatherum because of the vocals on Years in Waste. Certainly worth checking out though - there aren't too many bands like this around."

Proof That Death Metal Is Far From Dead

Lumazu | California | 07/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just listened to these guys today. I bought both albums on a whim, and I have to say, this is some of the best death metal I have ever heard. I'm more of a prog death fan, as indicated by my love for Opeth, but these guys rule.



They combine death, thrash, and progressive metal in one seamless blend. Just listen to "Black Seas Cry". Amazing stuff.



Crushing riffs, keyboards truly used for atmosphere rather than to carry the tune, a guitarist whose solos can stand on their own...the only thing one can complain about Omnium Gatherum is the style of the vocals. They are about as brutal as it gets.



Well worth the money."