History
Reviews
OMNIUM GATHERUM - STEAL THE LIGHT - RAGE OF ACHILLES
Ooooh Omnium Gatherum, that's like so kewl.
Let me check... that's right! They are... wait for it... hold your breath... calm down... it's coming... breath in, breath out... Finnish! No wonder there is a naked man's back side on the cover.
Mikko plays keyboards. His granny is so proud of him. He is her little angel. She knows he will outgrow this 'metal' phase thingie and settle down with a good Finnish... girl. Two of the band members' last names are Pikka. Could it be that no one in that family can get a girlfriend? Seriously, get a girl and move on guys. And who is that on the inside cover wearing that, oh-so-Amorphis, Dervish-type blouse? He looks so pensive. Perhaps he is asking himself how he got into this mess which includes standing next to the guy in the Slayer T-shirt? What a farce. These kids are probably influenced by Children Of Boredom and Amorpiss to no end and are now waiting for the sales figures to rush in before they launch their world tour (debate rages, 'should we open for Slayer or have Judas Priest support us?')- especially the keyboardist is so adamant! All information will be announced on the band's web site www.SAUNAlahti.fi/wanhala/OG. That is not a joke either. Check the address for yourself.
These guys almost take the sport out of it.
The Finnish metal scene is in such an abysmal shape that if a physician had to be called to relieve its suffering, the only choice would be Dr. Kevorkian - Ali "The Metallian"
OMNIUM GATHERUM - SPIRITS AND AUGUST LIGHT - RAGE OF ACHILLES
The music of Omnium Gatherum on Spirits And August Light is difficult to describe. The band is heavy one moment and soft another. The singer can growl and scream while the song delves into a melodic and impressive guitar lead. Whichever the case, the overall effect is constantly undermined by the presence of a keyboardist who insists on crippling the band. Then again, given the band's Finnish nationality having a grown man scream on top of keyboards is considered normal. Perhaps titles like The Emptiness Of Spirit and Amor Tonight further elucidate the band's approach. Having said all that, congratulations are due the band, engineer Nino Laurenne and Sonic pump Studio for the powerful sound. It elevates the album greatly. Here is one note of trivia with which to close the review: one does not have to listen too closely to hear the band copy Pat Benatar's Love Is A Battlefield on the song The Perfumed Garden. Just listen to the keyboard. - Ali "The Metallian"
OMNIUM GATHERUM – STUCK HERE ON SNAKES WAY – CANDLELIGHT 
Candlelight Records should really stop picking up the refuse of Nuclear Blast. These bands could not deliver on NB and there is no reason why they would do any better on Candlelight. Case in point is Finland’s Omnium Gatherum. There was a fair amount of hype on the scene for these guys, but the band is essentially the same pop goth rock sound that their country is known for. Sure, Just Signs is a melancholy Sentenced rip off, but the rest of the album (with the exception of the cover picture) is methodical generica. New singer Jukka Pelkonen is standard stuff especially when he drifts into crooning on the aforementioned Just Signs. Most of the time he comes across as the son of Barney Greenway. The keyboards are of course there, as is the cartoonish lead guitar sound and the twangy riffs. The double bass drums go rat-tat-tat without any force and the obligatory whispered layers on several songs further reinforce the notion that Omnium Gatherum has an ominous future. A-Part Of God is fairly generic take on Dream Theater and some songs are slower than others. Yeah, this is generic Finnish ‘metal.’ The rudimentary Drudgery with its predictable arrangement says more than I ever could and Janne Markkanen might have agreed. The bassist recently left the band citing a lack of motivation. – Anna Tergel
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