Release Date: September 08th 2023. Record Label: No Profit Recordings. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Roadkill: Tracklisting
1.The One 05:20
2.Black Dust 08:08
3.Survive 06:32
4.Another You 09:08
5.Early Morning 05:16
6.Doomer 04:40
Members
Igor Kukanja - vocals and bass guitar
Aris Demirović - guitars
Sebastian Vrbnjak - drums
Review:
Doom/Stoner Rockers Omega Sun return with Roadkill which is their first album in six years. I was a huge fan of their debut album and assumed the band had split up. However, here we are with Roadkill which sees Omega Sun operate with a more Grunge based atmosphere which interplays superbly well with their established Doom/Stoner Metal sound.
Omega Sun move between the finer points of 90’s Stoner Metal with a Doom Metal appetite which cuts back to an elevated Grunge presence with Igor’s vocals having twinges of John Garcia and Chris Cornell. The album doesn’t break any new creative ground but Omega Sun play a vibrant disregard for genre rules and conventions that the music has a more Sludgier aesthetic which can be heard within the stunning opening track of The One.
The One has a pulsating bass groove provided by lead vocalist Igar. The guitars feel empowered by the Californian Desert/Stoner Rock scene which is superbly played by Aris and Sebastian’s drums provides a more slow pounding Doom & Gloom rhythm which is quite different to what we heard on their debut album. The later stages of the song sees all band members vying for lead dominance for a wicked extended instrumental jam and fuzzy overtones which moves into more atmospheric stages of rock/metal.
Second song Black Dust is a heavier and bleak sounding Grunge distorted focus where the Desert Rock attitude turns into a more volatile rhythm. The vocals move between the Doom Metal and Stoner Rock platforms with a grizzled outlook from Igor. Perhaps taking the more world-we
ary elements of KYUSS and merging them with the creative themes of Soundgarden and Alice In Chains whilst still allowing Omega Sun to deliver their own intense sound. The song is quite progressive in places with the music being most effective when everything is slowed right down and the FUZZ is played up to the max.
Third song Survive has a more stripped back sound with the music being slightly muted to other tracks on the album. However, this works in the bands favour as there’s a less dominant approach with Omega Sun relying on a more distinctive melodic sound with layers of swirling Psych Rock which allows the rhythm section to really shine through. The guitars by Aris have that “less is more” type of sound but provide the building blocks for the rest of the band to stand upon. Igor’s vocals slowly move away from the Desert/Stoner Rock field to a more heavier style with an excellent Blues Rock delivery being heard in places.
Omega Sun do become more bolder with their creative choices on the second half of the album and mostly with the stunning fourth track Another You which lasts for around nine minutes in length. Imagine a more devilish blend of Blues Rock, Grunge and Hard Rock that slowly become a more warped style of Doom/Stoner Metal. The song does take time to fully get going but when everything is beautifully aligned then Omega Sun are unstoppable here with the flashy Psychedelic guitars and raw sounding production values.
The record can become more Spaced Out and the vocals even become more Droned Out on the later stages of the album. The final two songs of Early Morning and Doomer once again sees Omega Sun merge Stoner Rock flair with a Fuzz based Doom outlook. The instrumental work is quite overpowering at times with Igor’s vocals reaching high screeching levels especially on Early Morning.
The final song Doomer sees Omega Sun offer a more LOW & SLOW blend of Doomed Out Stoner Rock with an eerie soundclip allowing the creepy bass to play confidently in the background and Igor’s vocals become quite sinister. The music is all about heavy FUZZED out volumes with an aggressive delivery still offering an addictive quality despite the bleak message of the track.
Roadkill may not offer anything new to the Doom/Stoner Metal landscape but Omega Sun are still on FIRE on this release that offers moments of pure excitement when the band play a more gloomier style of music that can be quite unexpectedly deafening in places.
This is a wickedly entertaining release that should allow Omega Sun to be welcomed into the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene even further with open arms by an appreciative audience.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to No Profit Recordings for the promo.
Roadkill is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via No Profit Recordings
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