The Red Shift (CD - 2008)

Omnium Gatherum's fourth studio release, THE RED SHIFT, exhibits so much growth and instrumental exploration, it is destined to become a classic in the annals of extreme metal. The Finnish sextet has finally mastered the art of tempering the ruthlessness of death metal with classical-minded melody. THE RED SHIFT is even shocking in its complexity (and refreshing in its sincerity). Mixed and mastered by metal legend Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity, Nightingale, Bloodbath), the album truly exemplifies the term "progressive."

The Red Shift is Omnium Gatherum's fourth full-length album, and it is also their second album since Jukka Pelkonen replaced Antti Filppu as the Finnish death metal band's lead vocalist. Released in 2007, Stuck Here on Snakes Way -- the first Omnium Gatherum album that featured Pelkonen -- had its melodic passages and used keyboards but was ultimately about brutality more than nuance or intricacy. Melody, however, is a much higher priority on The Red Shift, which is a more interesting disc than Stuck Here on Snakes Way. That isn't to say that Stuck Here on Snakes Way was a bad album; it was a decent, although somewhat uneven, effort. But The Red Shift is more memorable and more consistent, and Omnium Gatherum's members sound like they are genuinely enjoying the band's greater emphasis on melody. However, the fact that this 2008 release is more melodic than Stuck Here on Snakes Way does not mean that Omnium Gatherum have quit being forceful as hell; there is still plenty of bombast and plenty of furious thrashing taking place on The Red Shift. And even though Pelkonen offers some clean vocals, he favors extreme vocals most of the time and usually gives listeners a stereotypical "Cookie Monster" growl. Nonetheless, Omnium Gatherum are going for an honest to God balance of brutality and intricacy this time; melody isn't just a mere afterthought on The Red Shift, which is definitely a creative step forward for the Nordic death metal combo. ~ Alex Henderson minimize