Review: “Circulate” by Omnivortex

Having only formed in 2019, Helsinki Finland based the Blackened Technical Death Metal act Omnivortex unleashed a critically acclaimed debut album in “Diagrams of Consciousness” in 2020 which saw them not only tour their homeland relentlessly but also win Wacken Metal Battle Finland 2023 with their fierce live energy. Now that the summer is gone the band begin the next chapter with “Circulate“, a sophomore album produced, recorded and mixed by Teemu Aalto (Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum) and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (Ghost, Paradise Lost, Mayhem). Suffice to say that the anticipation and promise of this one is absolutely huge…

A death growl of epic proportions ushers in the swirling darkness of opening cut “Dwells“, a powerhouse cut with a weighty atmosphere and restless and relentless kit work from drummer Aaro Koskinen. The surprise is how groove laden the first half of the track is with echoes of older Lamb Of God before a melodic break in the centre that sets the tone for a Blackened second passage with a vibrant technical solo. It’s enough to crack a smile on the face of even the most hardened of Metal Heads and is a distinctive statement piece before the Meshuggah inspired opening riffs of “Transforming To Pale Mist” the course to enter the eye of a storm. Dragging you into the cosmic abyss with a blunt force trauma of chugged guitars and a whirlwind of percussive battery, this one benefits from having vocals from guitarist Severi Saarioja and drummer Aaro Koskinen because the different textures in their voices give it a real bite with its sense of isolation and despair. This time the melodic break comes with the fade, a haunting instrumental passage that’s eerie enough to set the teeth on edge. Continuing the evolution of their sonic oblivion “Of Aeons Past” opens with a powerful Death Thrash riff before growing deeper, darker and more treacherous with the Technical Progressive Death Metal vibes of bands like Obscura. The solo is an awe inspiring scorcher, worthy of a gear endorsement from a guitar manufacturer in its own right and then comes “Slumbering In Black“.

Something wicked walks this way for this one, the band playing with textures and melody as the bass line from Mikael Reinikka adds a real sonic depth. It’s used like a third guitar in the mix as the band build the sounds of ethereal darkness around it before dropping off into a swirling fog of ghostly melody only to resurface for a masterful crushing final onslaught and another fretboard smouldering solo. The ground trembles beneath the feet of drummer Aaro Koskinen as the sinister “Mechanical Motions” comes to life with some jackhammer footwork and savage unclean vocals contrasted by vibrant and almost ethereal lead guitar patterns that make this one feel like an electric shock to the senses. A pulsating solo during an extended instrumental passage makes this one another stand out among standouts, the intricate nuanced melody into the final third an absolute joy of pure horror. The musicianship is incredible, making the first album feel like a warning shot while this one proves fatal, the insane tapping section and guitar wizardry following the solo at the end of this one another moment that simply slaps you in the face with a giant wet fish and screams “I’m here!“.

Smashing the clock in fear, the vocals get harsher as “Husk” explodes, the vocal layering intertwining to monstrous effect. That fades gradually as the band return to the stylings of “Slumbering In Black” with some melancholic bass and even acoustic guitar before building back to a final vicious onslaught as they reach into the void of Progressive Metal once more with stunning results. Not so much a revolution but an distinctive evolution with new found confidence from their first record giving them the opportunity to terraform their planet to their vision without any sense of fear. The skull battering “Harbingers Of Cosmic Death” continues the flow while abandoning some of those melodic moments in order to give us a piece of pure brutality with demonic vocals that feel like a plague summoning. Once again the percussion sounds huge in a mix nailed to perfection so the band can shine without being held back in any way, shape or form. The record concludes with the seven and a half minute magnum opus that is “Endless” with muscular angular guitar work cutting through the cerebral cortex like a hot knife through butter. Sublime dark melodies and reflect nature with their complex patterns, painting pictures in the minds eye as the cut plays out, another haunting moment of acoustic guitar being the cherry on top of an album both enthralling and captivating at the same time. [9/10]

Track Listing

1. Dwells
2. Transforming To Pale Mist
3. Of Aeons Past
4. Slumbering In Black
5. Mechanical Motions
6. Husk
7. Harbingers Of Cosmic Death
8. Endless

“Circulate” by Omnivortex is out 29th September 2023 via Inverse Records