Omnium Gatherum & I have a strange relationship. Sometimes they have me convinced they are the second coming, meticulously combining atmospheric, progressive structures with the aggression of a crossbow wielding, privately schooled nutcase. Seconds later though, I find them ruining things with a concerted In Flames impression or, god forbid, a keyboard-driven gay part (that’s a technical term for clean vocals). Anyway, this habit has been rearing it’s ugly head more & more often with too many melodic flourishes at the expense of some good, old fashioned brutality. The emphasis has been on the melo-, not the death, leading them dangerously close to that musical cul-de-sac that is “metal my bird likes”. Luckily, they’ve managed to make this one not suck. Until track 3.

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