Omnium Gatherum - Years in Waste
Nuclear Blast - NB1357 - 08/11/04
By Patrick Walsh
Even if Melodic Death Metal seemed to have burnt itself out years ago, the constant influx of bands remains somewhat staggering. It's hardly their fault though, as many of these groups were doing their own thing long before the likes of
In Flames and
Soilwork started writing nu-tinged pop-metal anthems and getting airtime on Kerrang! TV. Besides,
Omnium Gatherum could even point out that they've been around since 1996 and emerged from Finland rather than Gothenburg. Nevertheless,
Years in Waste bears more than a passing resemblance to their more restrained Swedish counterparts than, say, the cheesy fretboard workouts of fellow countrymen
Children of Bodom.
Thankfully, too,
Omnium Gatherum retain a certain base agression that seems to have been rather neglected by the heavyweights of this genre in recent years, and
Years in Waste contains a rather satisfying malevolence that is more akin to the likes of
Dark Tranquility than
Soilwork. 'The Fall Went Right Through' is a fine opener with some excellent melodic riffs underpinned by a good understanding of the importance of a fitting solo to beef things up properly. Songwriting is reasonably high throughout this release and there's probably more variety here than most, and yet the vocals of Antti Flippu range from fairly obvious Anders Frieden-isms to a harsher stylee that often sounds like it could crack at any second. They're functional rather than inspiring, a common problem with melodic death metal; the conviction is there, but true individuality is sorely lacking.
'Black Seas Cry' slows things down a few notches in an attempt at atmosphere, although the PR's promised references to an
Opeth/
Katatonia modus fail to materialise, but
Omnium Gatherum weave their own sense of dark purpose, and
Years in Waste manages to tread a nice balance between the bouncy, catchy riffs of their peers with a darker contour. The result is one of the better efforts heard from this oft-maligned genre in quite a while, and one for the enthusiasts to check out for sure. Those of you who have remained disillusioned with this type of thing post-
In Flames'
Jester Race will not be lured back by
Omnium Gatherum's charms unfortunately; they're by no means as sugary as many of their contemporaries, but won't be sending shivers of fear down anyone's spines too soon either.
7/10
Omnium Gatherum's Official Website
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