Connect with Odious Mortem
Listen to Odious Mortem
Odious Mortem is as formidable and lightning paced a band as you'll find in the brutal death world (well, as far as the more obscure acts go anyhow). Formed way back in the late 1990s, this Cali-based quartet emulates the works of bands such as the likes of Psycroptic and Canada's Beyond Creation combined with the lyricism and themes of psychedelic earthliness in order to create a quite unique aura of brutal, fast paced sounds. They've released a couple of albums before...and now, this Willowtip Records-signed outfit is back after well over a decade since their sophomore full-length with their new album titled Synesthesia: a ten track composition comprised of nearly 38 minutes of content. So let's listen up!
First and foremost, I gotta say that the opening track is phenomenally paced and, while brief, hits a lot of the right notes for me as far as the general tech deathery goes. You've got some slammy chords right off the bat that lead into groovy Dying Fetus and Origin like riffs, double bass and oldschool death metal vox that sound like Obituary. Oddly enough, this is probably the only actual song without a lengthy guitar solo in it, so there's also that, but if that's what you're into, then there'll be like a dozen or so more chances for those. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional guitar solo as much as the next guy, but they feel a tad overabundant in Synesthesia. I just personally like them more spaced out and used sparingly. Also, the production quality seemed kinda sketchy to me at times in regards to some of the snare drum samples or the overall sound of the vocals, but they're above passable and not too big an issue overall.
As far as the other songs go, 'Condemnation Foretold' is basically a composition with some borderline math-grind elements and an overall Obscura/Psycroptic vibe to it with the way in which the psychedelic riffing, solos and tempo changes converge to create a hectically complex environment. This one, along with the song right after, are very prog and guitar solo heavy, with the growling vox taking a slight backseat a ton of the time. 'In Abominable Form' has a more deathgrind sound that felt closer to my liking; however, for me at least, the album didn't really take off in the way I felt more engaged to it until this track and the latter half of it all. Tracks like 'Eagle's Tower' and the couple ones straight after got my attention with their mixed tones and various ambiance/melodies combined with some acoustic riffs, tremolos and ecstatic vocals that reminded me more of Cannibal Corpse than tryhard tech death, in my opinion. Even 'Synchronicity'; a rather lengthy instrumental interlude track right before the outro song that really tied things together in the sense that there was a certain level of guitar musicianship on display, with hints of some borderline virtuoso stuff aside from the somewhat classical music piano vibes. It really is a great song to check out for the guitar heads out there. In general, I liked the second half of this album better than the first because of its differing sounds and eclectic variety in terms of the instrumentals.
To top this review off, the new Odious Mortem stands fairly strong as a long-awaited product that's truly worth giving a listen. There's a whole lot of fast riffs, great and catchy guitar solos, some little surprises here and there and a somewhat memorable instrumental interlude that still sticks with me. The vox are pretty standard for the genre all things considered, but their presence is all too necessary to carry the overall calamity that is Synesthesia. There are a couple issues I've had this one, such as some of the song structures and the over-reliance of aforementioned solos, as well as some of the shoddy production at some points. However, I was blown away by the intricacy of the musicianship on display and what it entails pertaining to the ability of the artists involved. And for that alone, I'm greatful I took the time to listen to and review this gem. It's been a long wait, but one that's certainly worth it for a certain niche of tech death fanatics such as myself.
Fave Tracks: 'In Abominable Form', 'Eagle's Tower', 'Synchronicity'
For Fans Of: Arkaik, Decrepit Birth, Severed Savior
**This release is available on multiple formats now here!**
------------------------------------
Support your fave artists and musicians!
-Review by: Dave Raffy
Musician, reviewer, fan & promoter
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to share it with others to help us grow. You can also like and follow us on the social media of your choice with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and support us on Patreon.