Omnium
Combining the precision of technical death metal with the abrasive turbulence of grindcore, Omnium’s sophomore outing, “omnium ”, melds startling technical insight with the energy and unpredictability of live performance. With baffling time signatures, dissonant chordal structures and moments of bang-your-head aggression, Omnium’s careful attention to songcraft and musicianship works to complement—rather than compromise—the ferocity and intensity of the music.
Omnium formed in 1998 in Adelaide, Australia under the original moniker Omnium Gatherum. Initially a four-piece with Brad (vocals), Rocco (guitar), John (drums) and Justin (bass), Omnium Gatherum quickly earned a reputation in their local scene for a tight and aggressive live show. A demo tape was soon in circulation, followed by a four-track promo one year later. Promo ’99 was especially well received in both the national and international underground, with tracks from the release appearing on the Downunderground 3 and Brutally Sickness compilations, as well as on a limited edition split CD with cult US grind act Total Fucking Destruction.
In 2001, Omnium Gatherum released their first full-length album Rectifying Human Rejection. While the album displayed a range of influences—among them death, grind and thrash—the music’s intense, percussion-driven sensibility prompted favourable comparisons with luminaries of the North American technical death metal movement, most particularly Cryptopsy and Deeds of Flesh. A distribution deal with Tasmania’s Life Fluid Productions resulted in worldwide circulation of the album via underground distros. Tracks from the album also featured on the Necrotardation, Supreme Brutality, Horrific Liquescent Aftermath and Buckets of Blood compilations. Shortly after the album’s release, Justin was replaced by Paul on bass, and with this new line-up, the group completed successful tours of Tasmania in 2002, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra in 2003 and Brisbane in 2004, sharing the stage with some of the nation’s most prominent acts, including Blood Duster, Psycroptic, Alarum and Earth. Also in 2003, Australian metal legends Damaged invited Omnium Gatherum to fill the much-coveted support slot on the Adelaide leg of their national tour. Around mid-2003, Omnium Gatherum recruited second guitarist Dave to add greater sonic scope and flair to the group’s percussion-dense sound. Matti replaced Paul on bass duties shortly afterwards. After some time away from the live scene, Omnium Gatherum emerged with renewed energy and drive in January 2004, and went on to win key international supports with Deeds of Flesh in 2004 ,Hate Eternal and Nile in 2005 and Vader in 2007.
In the early months of 2005, Omnium Gatherum shortened their name to ‘Omnium’ in response to the growing international profile of a Finnish band of the same name. This name change, alongside the revitalised new line-up, signals something of a new beginning for this enduring Adelaide band. And it is this spirit of reinvention which drives the long-awaited follow-up to Rectifying Human Rejection. On “Omnium“, older crowd favourites like ‘Urea’ and ‘Is it Sinking In?’ are rendered more vicious and incisive following years of careful refinement on the live circuit, while newer tracks like ‘Crushing Them in Your Hands’ and ‘Mother’s Midnight Son’ demonstrate the band’s increasingly sophisticated dynamic sensibility.
Yet although technical skill is undoubtedly central to the composition and execution of each of these songs, the album’s ultimate focus remains anchored firmly in songcraft. On “ omnium “, they seamlessly integrate a variety of musical elements and influences to produce some of the most cohesive and accomplished material of their career; an album which is, paradoxically, their most chaotic and most fluent to date.
As of 2009, Omnium are no longer active. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
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