Omnium Gatherum 

The Redshift

Candlelight Records 2008

There is something so appealing about the music of Finland's Omnium Gatherum.  They return with their own special brand of melodic death metal.  The manner in which The Redshift approaches its use of melodies is less Gothenburg than 2007's Stuck Here on Snake's Way.  It has more of an Edge of Sanity feel in the way it incorporates the melodies into its more straightforward death metal song structures.  Catchy and yet somewhat aggressive, The Redshift instantly, though gently, grabs the listener.  A Shadowkey is commercial in its appeal yet is filled with a sense of juxtaposed sorrow and joy with the main lead tearing itself away from Jukka's mournful gruff vocals during the chorus.  No Breaking Point is a mixture of Gothic sensibilities during the insanely catchy chorus and Edge of Sanity roughness throughout the main riffing.  The Return announces its presence with spaced out synths and a guitar line that mirrors the keyboards.  Then the song is possessed by an epic melody that would do Amorphis Proud.  This remains possibly my favorite tracks of the album.  Aggressive and thick guitars smash out of the speakers on The Redshifter for the album's most brutal track.  On the opposite end of the spectrum is Greeneyes which has a mood similar to Katatonia's Day track off of Brave Murder Day.  Sorrowful vocals and a foggy feeling of yearning.  The album fades somewhat down the stretch as it ends with the uninspiring instrumental Song for December and the chunky riffing, abrupt melodies, deep vocals, and strange synths of Distant Light Highway.  Once again Omnium Gatherum has delivered an album of genuine melodic death metal that is a demonstration of individual growth between albums.  Though commercially accessible The Redshift still maintains a sense of integrity to the underground that spawned these Finnish monsters.  Omnium Gatherum are one of the few bands I respect and even listen to playing this style of music and The Redshift perfectly illustrates why.