Omnium Gatherum – New World Shadows

Releasedate: 07-02-2011; Label: Lifeforce Records
By: Sabine van Gameren

Omnium Gatherum is a Finnish Melodic Death Metal band that has been around since 1996. For those who are into the Scandinavian metal they are not unknown, “New World Shadows” is the band’s fifth full length release.

With five albums there is one to say straight from the start, the band have topped themselves with this release. In the songs, they create plenty of space for the instruments and don’t make the vocals take it all over. Melody is what these Finns bring in such a way that it doesn’t get overdone but capture you anyway, whether this comes in a tension building riff in between vocal parts or as steady backing when vocalist Jukka Pelkonen opens his throat. He is the youngest member of the band, joining in 2006.
“New World Shadows” shows a step forward for Omnium Gatherum, where in previous albums you could have reservations on how the band sets itself, in between the many, many other bands that make this genre, the band now have shown that these reservations were wrong. Here you see a mature band that knows what they want and have got it together.

The album is quite accessible, there are of course the doom elements, but the melodic elements lift it all up. Highlights of this album are found in sings like “Everfields” and “Nova Flame”. An album that might end up high in the year lists, it won’t let you get away with only a few times listener “New World Shadows” is a keeper.

Line Up:
Jukka Pelkonen – Vocals
Markus Vanhala – Guitar
Toni Mäki – Bass
Jarmo Pikka – Drums
Aapo Koivisto – Keyboards

Tracklist: 01. Everfields 02. Ego 03. New World Shadows 04. Soul Journeys 05. Nova Flame 06. An Infinite Mind 07. Watcher Of The Skies 08. The Distance 09. Deep Cold

Links:
Omnium Gatherum Facebook
Omnium Gatherum Official