Stuck Here on Snakes Way [Clear Vinyl] [2 LP]

by Omnium Gatherum

Overview

If there's one thing that fans of extreme metal can count on, it is that many bands will experience lineup changes. Replacing a guitarist, bassist or drummer can be challenging, but replacing a lead singer is even more challenging because the absence of a familiar voice is so noticeable. With their third full-length album, Stuck Here on Snakes Way, Finnish death metallers Omnium Gatherum unveil a new lead singer: Jukka Pelkonen, who replaced Antti Filppu. The good news is that Pelkonen works out well; he has a gruff, menacing delivery that is perfect for the band's blistering high-speed assault. Omnium Gatherum has often been described as a melodic death metal band, and Stuck Here on Snakes Way does have some occasional melodic passages. But ultimately, this 2007 release is about vicious bombast and crushing exhilaration rather than melody, intricacy or nuance. Of course, the fact that Omnium Gatherum uses keyboards extensively is bound to result in some people assuming that the material is ultra-melodic; some death metal (and black metal) enthusiasts automatically think melodic the minute they hear the word keyboards. But the important thing is not the very presence of keyboards, but how they are used, and on Stuck Here on Snakes Way, they are used in a manner that is spacy but doesn't make for a great deal of melodic appeal. Regardless, it's an interesting contrast when those spacy keyboards are heard alongside Omnium Gatherum's furious thrashing -- an unlikely contrast that helps to keep this CD from sounding generic. Stuck Here on Snakes Way is somewhat uneven, but the tunes are decent more often than not -- and those who acquired their previous releases will be glad to know that there is indeed life after Filppu for Omnium Gatherum. ~ Alex Henderson

Product Details

Release Date:	09/01/2017
Label:	Spinefarm Records
UPC:	0602557579116
Rank:	79509

Tracks

Disc 1

1. The Snake and the Way
2. Into Sea
3. Dysnomia
4. A Part of God
5. Undertaker
6. Bastard-O

Disc 2

7. The Third Flame
8. Just Signs
9. Truth
10. Drudgery
11. In Sane World
12. Spiritual

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Omnium Gatherum   Primary Artist
Harri Pikka   Guitar
Janne Markkanen   Bass
Markus Vanhala   Guitar
Jarmo Pikka   Drums
Teemu Aalto   Noise,Guest Artist
Jukka Pelkonen   Vocals
Rainer Nygard   Vocals

Technical Credits

Harri Pikka   Composer,Group Member
Janne Markkanen   Composer,Group Member
Markus Vanhala   Composer,Group Member
Jarmo Pikka   Composer,Group Member
Teemu Aalto   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Svante Forsbaeck   Mastering
Olli Lappalainen   Artwork
Jukka Pelkonen   Composer,Group Member
Jukka Koskinen   Photography
Aapo Koivisto   Composer