Lee Speaks About Music… #118

Arteries –  Omnerod

Introduction…

I recently received an email from a chap by the name of Romain from Belgium who is one of the main guys behind a 2-piece outfit who go by the name of Omnerod. Basically, they had not long put out a new album and he had stumbled across my blog site and asked me if I would give the album a review. As I have mentioned in the past I am not the type of guy who will review anything and mostly review the albums I buy myself, but having given the album a spin on Bandcamp it appealed to my taste enough for me to give it more attention, and give it a review.

It’s been awhile since my last post back in February and I did state then I would be taking a break and it’s been a lot longer than I expected. It was also back then whilst doing some decorating that my Desktop PC had broken down which put me completely out of action regarding doing more reviews. But more recently thanks to a good friend from Germany who kindly gifted me his old IMac. I am now able to write once again, and I really cannot thank my good friend enough.

As I mentioned Omnerod are a 2-piece outfit and it consists of guitarist Romain Jeuniaux and drummer Pablo Schwilden Diaz. Though they do have a couple of other guys onboard that lent a hand to their album Arteries, more about that later. Musically there is quite a mixture of influences and crossovers in the music that they present here, but I suppose if you were to nail it down to a specific genre, progressive metal would be the tag that fits the bill here. So. let’s now dig in a bit deeper and get down to the album review.

The Album In Review…

Arteries by Omnerod was released on the 30th May 2019. The album contains 8 tracks, 2 of which are instrumentals and has an overall playing time of 62 minutes, 55 seconds.  It’s the second album release by the band and their first album Ivory Dune was released back in 2014. Unlike their previous album which was released in both Digital Download and CD formats, their latest album Arteries has been released in the form of a Digital Download only. It’s perhaps understandable with how little physical media gets sold these days, and no doubt you do need to spread yourself out a bit more and get more of a following behind you as well. Otherwise you will just get left with a few hundred CD’s cluttering up your garage or basement, and I am sure many have been there.

Although none of the musicians have performed live under the name of Omnerod before and they have never had a stable lineup and have relied on session players to help them out. Plans are being set in motion as we speak right now, and this 2-piece outfit is at this present moment being extended into a 4-piece band and are currently getting things together to go out and play live in the second half of this year. Their latest album Arteries is very well produced and André Six who took care of the recording and production will be part of the bands new line up and will be the bands new bass player. The session vocalist Anthony Deneyer who handled all the growled vocals on the new album will also become a more official member of the band and also will contribute guitar as well as his death GROWLS!

Their 2nd album Arteries was mastered at Jens Bogren’s Fascination Street Studios in Sweden and was mastered by the capable hands of Tony Lindgren, who has previously worked on music from the likes of Leprous, Katatonia, Opeth, Enslaved, Vola, Marty Friedman, and many more. Many of which both Romain and Pablo idolized.

The albums Artwork was done by Sushant Vohra of Vohrart Designs who is an art graphic designer mainly for album covers and T-Shirt designs and it seems that no expense has been spared in the making of the album, and I have to say a very professional top job as been done all round and not only looks good, but sounds GREAT!. Really GREAT! to be honest and perhaps too good for a Digital Download only.

Omnerod (A Brief Bit Of History)

The original origins of the band were put together in 2009 by the band’s drummer Pablo Schwilden Diaz and former guitarist Daniel Vornicu who was both very young at the time, Pablo being the youngest at 14 and Daniel 16. They spent a couple of years trying to get a band together with various musicians who came and went and the pair of them worked on material for what was later to become the band’s first album Ivory Dune and had written half of the material for the album. In 2011 Romain Jeuniaux joined them who was only 16 himself at the time, and wrote much of the other half of the material for their first album.

It was not long after the album was completed and put out in 2014, that Daniel left the band to continue his studies, and since then both Romain and Pablo have carried the flame and kept the torch ignited so to speak with Romain has the main writer and Pablo putting in all the fills with his drums. They also brought in session players when needed to make their new album Arteries and for me personally it’s a lot stronger than their first album and much more to my personal taste.

Musicians & Credits…

All music composed by Omnerod. Engineered & Produced by André Six. Mastered at Fascination Street Studios. Sweden by Tony Lindgren. Album Artwork designed by Sushant Vohra of Vohrart Designs.

Musicians:
Romain Jeuniaux: Normal Vocals/Guitars/Samples & Effects.
Pablo Schwilden Diaz: Drums/Percussion/Samples & Effects.

Additional Musicians:
Anthony Deneyer: Growl Vocals.
Thomas Clément : Bass Guitar.

The Album Tracks In Review…

There is no doubt that the album Arteries took a good while to make, and the 5 years it’s took to surface since their debut album Ivory Dune has really reaped the benefit of spending a lot more time on it getting it right. For me personally their new album is a different breed in that it contains more melodic prog rock structure in comparison to their debut album, and having listened the album Ivory Dune I can honestly say that apart from the last couple of tracks on the album, it never really spoke to me at all.

I am not by any means suggesting that it’s a bad album and no doubt for those who are more into death metal than myself, I dare say they will enjoy or even love it. To be honest I can only take so much of GROWL! vocals and can 99% laugh at them at being some sort of advert for Strepsils Lozenges for those with a sore throat :))))).

I do not mind them in small doses and on the new album Arteries both the normal and GROWL! contributions from Jeuniaux and Deneyer respectively have been very well thought out regarding where they are placed on the album. I also think the vocals on this album sound a lot better too and have improved a lot in comparison to their previous album. A lot has improved on this new album I personally think, even the writing and instrumentation is a lot stronger and it’s much more of a solid album. It’s certainly an album that appeals more to my personal taste and rocks my boat.

No doubt most bands have their own inspirations and influences, judging by some of the other reviews I did glance at for this album, a lot of them tend to be pointing to the band Opeth of being their main influence. To be honest not being into death metal myself and not hearing many of the other bands mentioned they are influenced by or even of Opeth for that matter. I am hardly the guy who could make any real assumptions has to who they sound like.

But I suppose in some ways not having heard the likes of those other bands can give one the impression that there is something a bit more fresh and new here, and this album is quite refreshingly vitalizing with how they have also incorporated more of a melodic cleaner, and even ambient approach in parts, and fused it with the more darker and heavier side of it all. It’s like having the right measure and balance of good and evil forces and knowing when to deliver them in all the right places. It’s something they have done extremely well and it brings out all the dynamics in light and dark shades with how it all runs along.

Omnerod’s new album Arteries runs along like a concept album with how each track runs into each other and there is no real pause in between each track even if there are a few stops along the way. It’s perhaps not so much apparent at first, but once you delve deeper into the album with how it runs along and how both the music and vocals are very much dramatized to portray a collection of stories, and also delve deeper into the lyrical content. You will soon find out that there is a concept going on and there is a lot more to the lyrical content than meets the eye.

So, let’s now take a deeper look into the album Arteries and see what it’s all about as I go through each track on the album.

Track 1. Lines.

The album opens up with the first of the two instrumental tracks on the album and its title of “Lines” could even suggest that this is the album’s title track with how it ties into the album’s title of Arteries. Artery or Arteries is the muscular-walled tubes forming part of the circulation system by which blood is conveyed from the heart to all parts of the body. But it can also be seen an important route in a system of roads, rivers, railway lines or even a highway to which the artwork on the album cover could also be pertaining to.

The track opens up with an eerie haunting whistling wind that is quite reminiscent to the same haunting wind that opened up Elton John’s “Funeral For A Friend” back in 1973. Though there are no bells and synths here and instead it’s accompanied by some clean well down strokes on the guitar that give the impression of chimes. So, this intro does give one the impression of that particular Elton song and it could of been inspired by it.

Then around the 1:23 mark we get introduced to a few plucky lead notes from the electric guitar, which along with the change of the melodic rhythm notes that are cleanly ringing out from the guitar provide us with the main theme to which everything else is worked around. The track really opens up at the 2:11 mark where it unleashes its heavy BEAST! upon us, and no doubt there is a very powerful force of electric energy running through these lines. The piece runs along in a similar vein throughout with the use of its melodic structure and injects power where it’s needed, making it a very enjoyable track and kicks off the album in fine style.

Track 2. Guide Them.

The first of the vocal tracks on the album and the vocal duties are shared between Jeuniaux who takes on the verses, whilst Deneyer takes on the devil with his GROWL! voice in the chorus sections. The combination between them both works extremely and admiringly very well throughout the song, they also do justice to their respective parts and roles here too.

Judging by the lyrical content it’s perhaps hard at first to see that there is a concept going on here, and it’s only really as you go along and follow the songs on the album that you will soon get the gist that each story is dealing with the diseases that cause death and inflict pain in an horrendous or evil way such as cancer and so on.

For example, I could make several observations and meanings regarding the lyrics for “Guide Them“. My first observation is that the devil has come to put in his claim on those who are coming to the end of life and dying by some disease or another and he is there to guide them to hell and try and prevent them from going along another righteous road or path to heaven.

My second observation is that there could be in some kind of napalm warfare going on here. However, you look at it something evil is going down that’s for sure, and it’s also a good thing when one can make their own interpretations of a set of lyrics. I personally do not think the album is a concept based on one continuous story, but rather a collection of songs that deal with how one meets their fate.

Musically there is also a sense of drama being portrayed here to the whole story and both the music and the vocals are portraying this story and playing their roles throughout it exceptionally very well. It’s a very powerful track with clean cut and heavy distorted guitars and vocals and has the backbone behind it with the bass and drums. Some nice diversity with the changes and progression and it’s very well built up with how it can inject power and tone things down very smoothly. It’s also my personal favorite track on the album and it merits the albums Top Spot Award. Though there are plenty of other contenders.

Track 3. Newt.

The second and final instrumental piece on the album. It also happens to be the shortest track on the album and even though it’s more of an acoustic track, it does also utilize the electric guitar later on into the piece. It’s opening and closing melody lines have a sort of sad and down feel about them and reminds me a bit of the band Wobbler with its folky feel. The piece builds up very well with the other instrumentation and you even get a mandolin sound from the guitar adding nicely to it.

It’s also quite dramatic with how it flows along, and we get this rather nice sort of carnival ride melody that comes into play in the middle which is a nice touch and welcoming change. I have to admit when it does come into play, I keep expecting Alice Cooper to come in and say a few creepy words :))))). “Newt” is a fine piece and simmers the album down nicely with its placement on the album. It could also be seen as an introduction to the next song on the album.

Track 4. Ascaris.

The infliction of pain and cruel ways of dying continues and Ascaris from what I can gather is a genus of parasitic nematode worms known as the “small intestinal roundworms”, which is a type of parasitic worm. Ascaris lumbricoides affects humans and causes the disease ascariasis.

The song carries the melody on from the previous instrumental track at first with some subtle changes and then slots its way into another fine haunting melody.  Jeuniaux takes on the biggest majority of the vocals on this particular track, and his voice delivers the story superbly in both speaking and singing mannerisms. He also delivers quite a bit of power with his voice on this one too.

The song gradually builds itself along in fine melodic style and it’s a bit like a cross between Wobbler and Arena right to the point of where the more powerful changes come into play. I also like how they have very well crafted the transitional changes and it really does build up to a powerful force to allow Deneyer to inject even more vocal power with his GROWLS! The combination of them both taking on the vocals this way they have nailed to a tee.

“Ascaris” is another superb track and has to be another contender for the Top Spot on the album, and to be honest I could of also easily have made this my personal favorite track on the album as well. This is without doubt an album that is full of GREAT! tracks.

Track 5. Nothing Was Vain.

There is no doubt that Omnerod like to make lengthy tracks and I have never had a problem with that as long as they contain the right ingredients to take them over that distance, and do they not say the same thing throughout so to speak. Transitional changes and progression are the very ingredients that will keep any listener content enough, especially when there is plenty going on and they are going down other roads and paths to say something more.

Speaking of “more”, musically you do get a lot more in that department over the 11 minutes and 19 seconds you get here. Both the vocalists are still doing a GRAND! job, and the devil is still doing his best to claim more victims that have fallen along his path, including the fakers and hypocrites has he unleashes his wrath upon them.

There really is a lot of truly GREAT! changes in some of the lengthy musical interludes on this excellent journey, and perhaps more bags of progression in this song than any other track on the album. There is also a very tasty blistering guitar solo on the last stretch of the song to drive it home as well, coupled with the heavy guitars and the driving power of the drums and bass. To be honest I even think the band will have their work cut out trying to deliver to this song live to an audience, especially with how it’s all so very well executed and sounds on this studio version. “Nothing Was Vain” is another contender for the Top Spot on the album.

Track 6. Velvet Hooks.

It’s time to simmer the album down a bit again and the word “Velvet” in the title perhaps cushions the blow to bring to down a notch with a haunting ballad. Being that it is a ballad  Jeuniaux takes on the vocal duties solely on this song and his voice has the subtle and sweeter side to deliver it. A very good job as been done with the double tracking vocals and harmonies too. He also contributes some sweet guitar on the track too. I like the more subtle scope it has for the bass and drums too.

To be honest I know that Thomas Clément does play bass on 7 tracks on the album from what Romain told me, but I forgot to ask which one he does not play on. If I was to take a guess I would say it was either this track or the last track on the album. My reason for thinking it may be this track is that it does sound more like something that Jeuniaux and Diaz worked on alone. Diaz’s drums punctuate and resonate very well on this track too and he even does a nice bit of military style at the end too.

Overall, I think “Velvet Hooks” does a good job of bringing the album down a notch and works well in the concept of things here. However, I do think it’s 9-minute time slot is too much and this really needed to be cut down a lot more. I am not saying it’s a bad track, but at this length I do feel that there is a danger of more people reaching for the skip button sort of thing.

Track 7. Far From The Tree.

The album picks back up with a MIGHTY! force and this is one for the headbangers. “Far From The Tree” is perhaps the power house track of the album with its heavy metal power chord structure. I would expect for those who are more into the heavy death metal and GROWL! side of things this particular track would be more suited to their taste and would favor more with them.

Being more into the prog side of things myself, I much prefer the earlier tracks on the album that have more of a mix of melodic lines into the musical structure and fuse it in with more of the heavier side of things. For me personally that combination and even how they share the vocal duties works better.

Though in saying that there is no doubt the guys have done a Top Job musically and Deneyer’s GROWLS works very well throughout the track and does deliver justice to the power of it all. The other good thing for myself is that this is only track on the album that is perhaps more dedicated to those who are into the death metal genre, so it’s not really gonna spoil my listening enjoyment.

Track 8. Sleep.

The final track on the album is the longest and weighs in at 13 minutes, 42 seconds. Just like the 5th track on the album “Nothing Was Vain” there is bags more transitional changes and progression in this one, and this is much more to my personal taste and they chose a GREAT! way to end off the album. Or should I say put it to “sleep”, and there is more to the way one gets put it to sleep here perhaps too.

Once again Jeuniaux takes on all the vocal duties, and I have to admit I think the 3rd verse and a few of the other parts where they beef things up with the raw metal power would have been suited for Deneyer’s GROWLS! To be quite honest upon the first few listens I was half expecting his GROWLS! to come into play, it could be something for them to also consider doing it that way in future live performances of the song too.

They have also used some samples from a movie on this track too, and though I know I have seen the movie, for the life of me I cannot remember which movie it’s from. No doubt most movie buffs will know it instantly.

Overall, I do feel that “Sleep” is another one of the better tracks and another contender for the top spot on the album, and is in more contention with how well the earlier on tracks on the album are so well written and woven together. It also contains its journey very well over its longer time slot too, and puts an end to quite a very well written powerful album.

Summary…

To sum up the album Arteries by Omnerod. I personally think it’s quite a strong album that for most of its part fuses some well fine melodic lines along with the rawer heavy power of death metal. It not only presents itself with all dirt and grit, but injects a good dose of cleanness and clarity to make it shine even through the much darker and ambient haunting side with how well the album has been recorded and very well produced. It’s an album that I also think will not only appeal to those into the heavier side of things, but to those who like myself are more into prog rock as well.

I think over the past 5 years both Romain and Pablo have learned a lot and Arteries is a much stronger well written album in comparison to their debut album Ivory Dune. I also think their latest album is well up there with a lot of more well-known bands who are out there making this same style of music. No doubt they have their own influences, but they also have their own way of going about things and have adapted a style of their own with how they put things across in this genre of music.

I do feel there is a concept thing going on within the lyrical content, especially with how the lyrics are all pertaining to sickness, disease, pain and death and how the devil himself could be tied into all the suffering here. I also think the material they had, they also managed to place the tracks on the album very well with what they had too. My personal highlights from the album are as follows: “Guide Them“. “Ascaris“. “Nothing Was Vain“. “Lines” and “Sleep“.

Conclusion…

To conclude my review of Omnerod’s new album Arteries. I personally think it’s a very powerful, enjoyable and near enough solid album that will appeal to many who are into the heavier side of prog rock and death metal. The material is very strong, well written and the production standards are very high quality and it’s been very well produced and mastered to a high standard. No doubt the musicians have got their act together and the combination of having two vocalists works very well I feel, and I am glad to see that Anthony Deneyer is now more of an official band member and that band is now in full swing and getting ready to go out on the road.

No doubt they will have their work cut out playing this material live with how so well the album has been produced. But I am sure they will get it all together and I wish them all the success because their music certainly does need to be heard, it certainly ROCKS! my boat and I am sure it will for many others too. I highly recommend you give the album a spin, and you can download the album for free, or even give the band a contribution by paying for it, and no doubt it’s worthy of doing so too.

You can listen to all the tracks and download the album right here: https://omnerod.bandcamp.com/

Standing Over Us, Guiding, Scorching…

The album track listing is as follows:

01. Lines. 6:23.
02. Guide Them. 9:41.
03. Newt. 3:19.
04. Ascaris. 8:41.
05. Nothing Was Vain. 11:19.
06. Velvet Hooks. 9:08.
07. From The Tree. 7:05.
08. Sleep. 13:42.

Lee’s Price Point Rating Score. 10/10.

Lee’s Album Rating Score. 8/10.