The Pitch: Budapest based "extreme groove metal" crew Omega Diatribe follow up the excellent Trinity w/ Metanoia. FFO: Meshuggah, Living Sacrifice
What I Like: I was very curious going into Metanoia. Their previous album Trinity ended up being one of my favorite albums of 2018, so the hype was real. But things got even more interesting upon watching the video for lead single "Parallel." Nice to see them with a budget for this, by the way. In addition to the returning comparisons to Living Sacrifice in the grooves, drumming, and always bleak and even somewhat sorrowful aesthetic; this track also found me making new post-metal connections with its more methodical, atmospheric approach. Even Ulcerate's slower interludes come to mind in these labyrinthian detours of ominous bass rumble. The clean singing, albeit brief, was also a bit of the shift from the band's normally always on, always aggro approach on previous efforts.
I was curious if the rest of the album would see a similar shift, and the answer is yes and no. While there are other moments on the album like "Death Touch," "Metanoia," and "Coronal Mass Ejection" with similar directions, there's still plenty straight up Meshuggah-esque violence to get your motor running. "You Can't Save Me," "Global Fire," and especially "Mirror Neuron" have zero hesitation when it comes to abusing the listener with their djenty riffs and irreverant vocal delivery. There's even some sick wah effect on the latter that reminded me of early Soulfly. With this newfound duality, Metanoia ends up being a much more dynamic record than Trinity. And even though t's not quite as consistently heavy from start to finish, the high points end up making a far more craterous impact thanks to the softer counterpoints.
Critiques: I'd like to see Omega Diatribe further meld these two different approaches into a more cohesive whole in the future. At times the album feels a little too A B A B, when I'd be more impressed by more of an ebb and flow within the songs.
The Verdict: So has Omega Diatribe lived up to the high hopes I had for this follow-up? For the most part I'd say yes. I'm not sure yet if I love it as much as I did Trinity, but either way this is a top tier album for 2020 and one that I hope garners further notice for a band that has been too long lingering in the shadows. I'm also digging that very Tool-meets-Meshuggah looking album cover.
Flight's Fav's: You Can't Save Me, Mirror Neuron, Global Fire
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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