Release
date: May
01st
2020.
Label: APF
Records
Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Omens
– Tracklisting
1.Omens
01:49
2.Black
Bile 05:09
3.Vengeful
Gods 05:11
4.Pain,
Grief and Suffering 06:36
5.The
Path of Most Resistance 06:16
6.The
Machine 05:51
7.Lockjaw
03:13
8.Rebirth
05:14
Members
Matthew
Ryan - Vocals
Ryan
Cole - Guitar
Chris
White - Guitar / Bass / Keyboards / Backing Vocals
Elliot
Cole - Drums
Chris
Benoist - Bass
Review
Omens
is the 5th album from UK Sludge Metal Heavyweights Desert
Storm and sees the band continue with the themes heard on 2018’s
Sentinels. The album is quite progressive and the band channel their
inner demons with this album. As it’s perhaps their bleakest work
to date and I said that in my review about their last album but that
still holds true here with Desert Storm channelling some top-notch
NOLA Sludge Violent energy throughout this album.
The
album opens with OMENS and it’s a bleak gloomy monologue from lead
vocalist Matthew which sets the scene for a more atmospheric offering
from the band.
Second
song – Black Bile – is where the album really starts with a heavy
combination of NOLA Sludge Grooves and Post-Doom based vibes that
have an eerie Psychedelic feel to them. Desert Storm flirt between
Ambient Post-Doom riffs and Heavier Sludge/Stoner sounds with expert
timing and the song becomes more grounded as a result. The
instrumental work is top-notch which is what you would expect from
everyone concerned within the band.
Third
song – Vengeful Gods – has a more direct approach with the band
playing a more “Punk” based approach to their music and with
Matthew threatening heavy vocals, the song plays at an addictive slow
pace that opens the album to heavier moments of Doom/Sludge Metal.
The lyrics I wasn’t entirely convinced with this on song but the
music and Matthew vocals still make this one of the of standout songs
on the album.
Desert
Storm carry on the same trippy and progressive bleak sounds heard on
the opening 3 songs for the remainder of the album with the band
still finding the time to add new elements to their overall sound
that we haven’t heard from the band before.
Omens
fully hits it’s creative stride on the later stages with songs such
as The Machine and Rebirth having the most intense and aggressive
sounds on the record.
Maybe,
Desert Storm have become more pissed off at world since their last
album but this allows the band to create bleak heavy Sludge Riffs to
impress their dedicated fan-base with. And that’s all you can ask
from a Desert Storm album. Omens is brilliantly entertaining from
start to finish with a thrilling apocalyptic theme allowing Desert
Storm to become one of the best and heaviest acts the UK
Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal scene has to offer at the moment.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks to Claire at
Purple Sage PR for the promo. Omens is available to buy now on
CD/DD/Vinyl via APF Records.
Links:
