Omnium Gatherum - The Redshift Review
by Matt Hensch
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Atmospheric melodic death metal
sounds like a mouthful of one of two things: gold, or sh*t. Thankfully, Finland's Omnium Gatherum does not cope with the latter in their metallic sense of melodic bombardments. Many could possibly foresee another band doing what At The Gates or Dark Tranquility have been equating for a few decades now, but from the sky, comes the sky: atmosphere is Gothenburg's homegrown singularity, and these gentlemen use this crazy trick wonderfully throughout The Redshift. Omnium Gatherum, however, musically falls in the lines of melodic death metal, yet their approach is anything but typical, at least from my perspective, from what melodic death metal offers. Overall though, The Redshift is a keeper. To be honest, Omnium Gatherum's instrumental approach dubs quality that is not just enjoyable but simply ethereal. The riffing attack this group showcases focuses mainly on hearty melodies, smashing grooves, rich harmonies, and fantastic soloing only contributing just the right amount of shredding goodness. The bass and percussion, however, apply simplistic attributes that create Omnium Gatherum's majestic surrounding, dazzling in an air-based perimeter of heaviness and dynamism. I must say, this curious touch of atmospheric nutrition in Omnium Gatherum's melodic base is better than intelligent, or even fun for that matter; it is sensationally excellent all around, and brings new organisms to a realm some might label as dying. As strange or ambivalent as it may sound, The Redshift can remain stuck in these situations while pumping entertaining rays with mighty harmonies during "No Breaking Points," or steady, catchy riffs that catch your attention and refuse to let go, like what "Nail" proudly demonstrates. Also, Jukka Pelkonen's voice falls in the spacey collision like his horoscope told him he would. With those nice, deep growls and clean chimes that actually fit into every musical pattern available, I would say he did a bang-up job. Obviously, the brains behind The Redshift are quite unbreakable once this hovering philosophy has taken its purest form, mainly throughout several numbers quoting a likeable balance between melody and atmosphere. It might seem kinda toxic, but that is what f*cks you up! Perhaps, Omnium Gatherum will one day receive an appropriate identity among the big-league bands that validated a certain formation in metal. After all, the sky never made Possessed or Black Sabbath take a detour, so I would watch out for Omnium Gatherum's metamorphosis that might sway the physical features of melodic death metal into atmospheric quarters, and possibly a new genre. Only time will tell what may happen, and that is an exciting thought. Still, The Redshift meets no rebuttal during its fantastic anthems, so give this puppy a shot.
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Omnium Gatherum - The Redshift Rating:9.0
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