OMNIUM GATHERUM

There has always been something intrinsically classy about OMNIUM GATHERUM. Purveyors of an immaculate strain of melodic death metal for nearly 30 years, the Finns have increasingly sounded like the subgenre's most resolute guardians. Founder and guitarist Markus Vanhala may be the only remaining member from the band that released debut album 2003's "Spirits and August Light", but the basic principles that were explored on that record are still ringing true 22 years later. "May The Bridges We Burn Light The Way" is the tenth OMNIUM GATHERUM album, and a not entirely unexpected reminder that melo-death can still be enormously potent and impressive, at least when in the hands of experts.

In fact, even acknowledged greats like IN FLAMES and DARK TRANQUILLITY might struggle to produce something as avowedly true to the melo-death bone as this. Vanhala's gifts are many, but his greatest contribution to modern metal has been the seamless blending of new elements into this undeniably familiar formula. The combination of melodies that exude the widescreen sweetness of '80s AOR with the fiery, guttural vocals of Jukka Pelkonen and the lethal rumble of monstrous death metal musicianship has long been OMNIUM GATHERUM's unique selling point. That remains the case here, but despite its familiarity, "May The Bridges…" is both a zing-fresh blast of meticulously crafted extremity and a subtle stride forward into even more progressive and creative territory. More pre-emptory overture than opening strike, the title track lays down the template. Spiraling guitar lines, accompanied by a rugged and precise rhythm section and fluid, futuristic keyboard augmentations, provide the perfect launchpad for what follows, and when "My Pain" leaps into action, the impact is thrilling. Like many of this band's best songs, it hinges on the tension between brutality and beauty, as Vanhala's unerring knack for a great tune is whipped ferociously forward on undulating waves of shiny riffing, elegant vocal melodies, and the expansive / expensive aura of contemporary prog metal. As a very welcome bonus, Vanhala's lead guitar work is simply glorious here, bringing another layer of askance commerciality to the table. OMNIUM GATHERUM have been ruthlessly adept at this stuff for a long time, but on their most recent albums, "The Burning Cold" (2018) and "Origin" (2021),they have wandered even further towards a state of pristine perfection. This latest collection of songs is the culmination of that move. "Last Hero" has the infernal catchiness of the best power metal but presented with so much fire and fury that it scores equally high on the death-o-meter. Again, it is an absolute rager of a song, and one that delights in its own subtly expressed cleverness. The epic "The Darkest City" goes even further, extending one of the sharpest of Vanhala's musical ideas over seven grandiose minutes. Part melo-death face-ripper and part progressive dreamscape, it conjures a gorgeous, cinematic world from the shimmering ether, placing Pelkonen at the heart of the storm, his barbarous roar rattling rafters like the voice of god.

The rest of the album offers a variety of white-hot takes on the same, coalescing ingredients. "Walking Ghost Phase" was released as a single, and it's not hard to hear why: satisfyingly pure in conception and execution, its adamantine chord sequences and euphoric guitar figures are underscored by classic metal riffing. But twists and turns are factored in as a standard feature these days, and OMNIUM GATHERUM manage all of these elements with holistic brilliance. This is ferociously intelligent metal, regardless of genre allegiance. "Ignite The Flame" repeats the trick, but with even more widescreen thinking driving things forward, and at a breathless, death metal pace. "Streets Of Rage" is another flawless four minutes, as some of the Finns' heaviest riffs collide with giant, undeniable hooks. "Barricades" is a life-affirming blizzard of bittersweet positivity, with lashings of prog prettiness and the reassuring bite of virtuoso death metal. Finally, "Road Closed Ahead" is the darkest and most melancholy entry in this new, melo-death diary, its gently gothic resonances echoing across more great riffs, more effortless hooks, and an all-pervading, ambient wash of sound that hints at more otherworldly concerns. Like everything else on this beautifully crafted album, it confirms that melodic death metal's current kings are operating on a higher level than just about anyone else.