MolyBaron: Something Ominous

MolyBaron are now three albums in, but I’ll throw my hands up and say I have no previous with this outfit and it’s their teaming up with Inside Out for Something Ominous that’s brought them to my attention. Fair to suggest I should have been much more vigilant in my musical search because if there’s one thing this album has me doing it’s struggling to find the correct review comparisons to make describing what they do easy. That’s already a huge plus as far as I’m concerned. Bands (some of which I like and some I don’t, so don’t be put off) that spring to mind as this CD spins are Shinedown, System of a Down, O.R.k, Muse and maybe even Tool. I’ll admit that on an eclectic festival bill that list of bands struggles to sound cohesive but here with a whole host of other influences and a smattering of ideas that can only be described as MolyBaron, Something Ominous sounds simply monstrous.

As a collection of ten songs, I found what has been presented here immediately interesting and in the whole, immediately engaging. However, time spent with the explosion of angst and energy that is “Billion Dollar Shakedown�, the cleverly concealed hooks and frantic sing-along riff-along of “Dead On Arrival� (one of the best songs I’ve heard in 2023) reveals something just a little more special. Formed round the song writing talents of singer and guitarist Gary Kelly, the rest of the band consists of Steven Andre (guitars), Sébastien de Saint-Angel (bass) and Camille Greneron (drums) and together they make an impressively tight unit, with their mixture of hammer smash beats, searing solos, mighty riffs and rumbling bass lines darting and deceptively daring in equal degree.

“Pendulum� adds a swinging hint of threat and foreboding, while “Breakdown� confirms that this outfit’s progressive modern metal has real depth and breadth. Add in the eerie electronics of “Reality Show�, the well placed confidence of “Set Alight� and some sharp, politically observant lyrics, and really, the end results on Something Ominous are a little different and, it has to be said, something you really need to hear.

Track Listing
1. Something Ominous
2. Set Alight
3. Billion Collar Shakedown
4. Breakdown
5. My Way
6. Daylight Dies In Darkness
7. Dead On Arrival
8. Pendulum
9. Reality Show
10. Vampires

Added: December 22nd 2023
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: MolyBaron online
Hits: 598
Language: english

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