Originally written by Tim Pigeon
Omnium Gatherum have released a winner of an album that manages to breath life into the melodic death genre. It’s exhilarating to see a band bring a fresh perspective to melodic death, treading beyond the extremely well-worn path to Gothenburg.
Embracing the Finnish ways of metal, Spirits and August Light is packed thick with interesting melodies and foundational atmosphere, and thus, songs twist in different directions than your melodeath ear is conditioned to expect. The production is crisp, but lacking clarity in the low end, with much of the drum work hidden beneath the wall of guitars and keys. The guys are adept musicians, but really shine when it comes to writing original, enjoyable songs. What I found most interesting was the clean, ethereal guitar tone used in songs like “Son’s Thoughts” and “The Perfumed Garden”.
My only complaint about the album (besides it not going for the full 74 minutes) is the harsh vocals. As far as growls go, they are fine growls, but I feel like this is the type of album that would be served well by the occasional clean part, which never shows up. Now don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some Gothenburg influences, but on the whole, the album has a much deeper and refined sound than a typical In Flames clone. This is apparent early on in spots such as the verses during “Deathwhite,” where a standard melo-death riff leads into a doomy verse, then into some quick duel leads. “The Perfumed Garden” further exemplifies this sound, as it blends that clean guitar mentioned early with happy little CoB-styled leads and a harmonized intro riff.
Even when they do sound just like their Swedish brethren, their riffs and rhythms are top-notch for the genre. Two songs are included from a prior EP, Wastrel and Son’s Thoughts. “Wastrel,” while being a strong and fast song, wears its influences proudly, with Jester Race-era riffs appearing in spots. On the other hand, “Son’s Thoughts” is progressive and overflowing with melody. Rather epic in nature, the song builds to a flashy finish with tons of guitar wankery.
Closing out the album is “It Shines,” which bears a striking resemblance to Brave Murder Day-era Katatonia or the newer torchbearer of doomdeath, Finland’s own Rapture. Great finish to a good album.
Even those jaded by the melodeath sound should find something to enjoy on Spirits and August Light. This isn’t the type of album you just throw on at a party, or cruise down the road to. Instead, it calls for headphones, or dedicated listening to absorb all that is going on. Fast and artistic, but not brutal, Omnium Gatherum should appeal to many a metalhead, especially to those who love melodeath but are just getting a bit tired of the game. Very good stuff.