Finnish melodic death metal act Omnium Gatherum return with their eighth album and first for Century Media, titled The Burning Cold, and it's business as usual for this always dependable band. Chock full of instantly catchy hooks, bright keyboard textures, blazing guitar work, and Jukka Pelkonen deep growls, The Burning Cold delivers either what you love, or hate, about the whole melo-death scene. Let's be fair to Omnium Gatherum though, these guys have consistently cranked out pretty enjoyable releases over the years, perhaps not sticking out as upper echelon fare, but honestly, not that far off the mark. "Gods Go First" combines the perfect blend of brutality and melody, same for the rampaging "Refining Fire", a real treat for fans of lead guitarist Markus Vanhala, who really adds a technical, often times 'shred' feel to these extreme, yet progressive styled songs. Other standout tracks here include the bubbling stomp of "Rest in Your Heart", the raging "Over the Battlefield" (love those keyboards!), and the blastbeat driven ferocity of "Driven By Conflict".
In actuality, not a weak song to be found on The Burning Cold, and while the band certainly aren't reinventing the wheel, you have to give Omnium Gatherum credit for sticking to their guns and once again doing what they do best. If you want top notch melodic & progressive death metal, look no further.
Track Listing
01. The Burning
02. Gods Go First
03. Refining Fire
04. Rest In Your Heart
05. Over The Battlefield
06. The Fearless Entity
07. Be The Sky
08. Driven By Conflict
09. The Frontline
10. Planet Scale
11. Cold
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