Rock Hard 8,5/10
Legacy Magazine 12/13
BW&BK 8,5/10
Soundi 4/5
Metalstorm 8/10
Imperiumi 8/10
Hamara 4/5
Miasma 8,5/10
Metal Observer 9/10
Pyromusic 9,5/10
Room Thirteen 13/13
MetalRules.com 4/5
Metalreviews.com 85/100
Lords Of Metal 85/100
Pavillion 666 9/10
Eternity Magazin 6/6
Ancient Spirit 9/10
Stalkermusic 4-/5
Metalicos 4.15/5
Metalius 8/10
Walls Of Fire 4/5
Bright Eyes 11/13
The Streets Webzine 8/10
Obskure 80/100
Ars Metallia 4-/5
Friedhof 7,5/10
Concreteweb 84/100
Vampster 4/5
Bloodchamber 7,5/10
Babylon Magazine 8/10
Inferno 7/10
Metalnews.de 6/7
Metal Dungeon 8/10
Metal Mayhem 8,5/10
Silent Stagnation 4,5/6
Sonos Metallicos 3,5/10
Global Domination 8/10
Hardradio.com 8,5/10
Metalbite 8,2/10
Get Ready To Rock! 3,5/5
Holy Metal 7,5/10

HAMARA
4/5

Arvostellessani viime vuonna Kotkalaisen Omnium Gatherumin debyyttiä
Spirits and August Light anelin sinänsä varsin komeasti pelaavalta
yhtyeeltä lisää kieroutta ja uskallusta peliin. Tuskin ovat jätkät koko
arviota nähneetkään, mutta niinpä vain on viesti jollain merkillisellä
tavalla mennyt perille.
Brittiläisen Rage Of Achillesin kaaduttua saksalaiselle massiivilafka
Nuclear Blastille siirtynyt kuusikko on lisännyt kakkoslevylleen kierrettä
jopa siinä määrin, ettei Years In Wastea ole perusteetonta pitää
progemetallialbumina. Tosin harvinaisen raskaana ja kalmanlöyhkäisenä
sellaisena.
Hienoja melodioita, massiivisia riffejä ja paatoksellista tunnelmaa
piisaa, eikä OG ole enää likipitäenkään niin paljon muille yhtyeille
velkaa kuin aiemmin. Kyllähän levyn ralleilta useita vaikuttajia pystyy
näytille riipimään, mutta hyödytöntä niistä ääneen on puhua. Niin vahva on
ryhmän ominaishaju.
Jos yhden kovan verrokin eteen vetäisee, niin hetkittäin hemmoista voisi
puhua Suomen Opethina - ei niinkään, että OG suuresti sveduilta
kuulostaisi, sillä on vain samanlainen taito niveltää raskaus, teknisyys
ja koskettavuus yhteen pakettiin ja korjata saumat siististi.
Summaten voisi todeta Omnium Gatherumin olevan siinä kunnossa, että
bändiltä voi odottaa ilman siniristilisääkin seuraavaksi mestariteosta.
Aivan sitä Years In Waste ei kaikesta koreudesta huolimatta vielä ole.
-Matti Riekki

SOUNDI
Pisteet: 4 / 5

OG on näkynyt demopuolella pariinkin otteeseen, mutta silloin vielä bändin metallisulattamo tuuppasi pihalle enemmän tai vähemmän raakarautaa. Nyt yhtyeen päästyä kakkoslevyynsä se on kaivanut esiin kaikenlaiset jalometallit ja lisännyt niitä sellaisessa suhteessa, että tuloksena on kerrassaan kiehtova kokonaisuus. Biisit ovat massiivisia, paljon pieniä yksityiskohtia sisältäviä järkäleitä, joiden kulmat bändi on jättänyt juuri sopivan rosoisiksi. Huikeinta bändin kehitys on ollut melodioiden puolella. Vaikka musiikissa kuuluu pintapuolinen raakuus, kappaleiden sisältä löytää uljaasti leijuvia melodioita. Ne luovat yhdessä metallisen särmikkyyden kanssa erikoisesti häiriintyneen tunnelman, jonka epätodellisuus kiusaa ajatuksia harvinaisella tavalla. Samalla levyllä leijuvaan henkeen liittyy jotakin elokuvallista, aivan kuin psykologinen trilleri luikertelisi tajuntaan vain korvan kautta. Siinä on tunnistamatonta pahuutta, jonka voiman kuitenkin pystyy aistimaan. Omnium Gatherumista on kehittynyt erinomainen yhtye, joka pystyy loihtimaan useammallakin tasolla toimivia tunnelmia. Mutta selvästi kakkoslevy jättää vielä jotakin hampaankoloon. Miten se mieli sitten järkkyykään ensi kerralla...

IMPERIUMI
Pisteet: 8 / 10

Kotkalainen Omnium Gatherum julkaisi vuonna 2003 debyyttinsä, Spirits And August Light , surullisenkuuluisan Rage of Achilles –levy-yhtiön kautta. Sittemmin lafka meni poskelleen, mutta Omnium Gatherumin ei tarvinnut olla pitkään vailla kotia saksalaisen Nuclear Blast in napatessa bändin suojiinsa. Bändillä siis vaihtui puitteet paremmiksi, ja niin on käynyt myös musiikin suhteen.

Yhtyeen edellinen levy ei tehnyt minuun kovinkaan suurta vaikutusta. Hyvää melometalliahan se oli, mutta korviini se kuulosti hyvältä, mutta ei kovinkaan omaperäiseltä. Years in Waste lla yhtye on hakenut itselleen hieman lisää omaperäisyyttä ja täten onnistunut luomaan varsin toimivan kuuloisen kokonaisuuden. Toki yhtyeen musiikilliset elementit ovat edelleen samat, ja soundi on velkaa esimerkiksi In Flames ille, Soilwork ille, Children of Bodom ille ja siitä vielä progressiivisemmalle osastolle. Silti paketti saadaan kuulostamaan mielenkiintoiselta ja monipuoliselta, vaikka yhtye ei mitään radikaalin uutta esittelekään.

Itselleni parasta mannaa levyllä on dynamiikan vaihtelut. Yhtye osaa piiskata musiikkinsa melkoiseen vauhtiin sekä myös hidastaa tahtia esimerkillisesti. Esimerkkinä toimikoon vaikka levyn toinen kappale, Waste of Bereavement , joka rutistaa sekä fiilistelee sopivassa määrin. Loppupuolen sopivan progressiivinen ote ja toimivat kosketinosiot tekevät fiiliksestä hyvin progressiivisen oloisen, vaikkei mistään kikkailusta olekaan kysymys. Sama pätee Black Seas Cry –kappaleen juhlavaan tunnelmointiin, joka ei varmasti jätä kylmäksi. Rumpalin näkökulmasta on pakko nostaa hattua Jarmo Pika n rumputyöskentelylle, jonka maukas tyyli soittaa sopivan mutkaisesti mutta silti riittävän suorasti toimii kuin tauti muun rytmisektion kanssa, ja on ehkä tärkein värittäjä yhtyeen ilmaisussa koskettimien tuoman tunnelman ja kristallinkirkkaan kitarasoundin lisäksi.

Kokonaisuutena Years in Waste on hyvä sekoitus nykyistä melodiametallin kärkipäätä sekä progressiivista otetta, jota voisi verrata ehkä vienosti Dream Theater in suuntaan. Yhtyeen kaikki osa-alueet toimivat ja kappalemateriaali on vahvaa koko levyn lävitse. Sounditkin ovat hyvin kohdillaan, joten mikäs tässä on ollessa. Ainoa haittapuoli Years in Waste –levyssä on se, että kiekko heräsi tosissaan henkiin päässäni vasta muutamien kuuntelukertojen jälkeen, ja toimi sen jälkeen melkoisen täydellä kaasulla. Toimii se edelleenkin, mutta toivon ettei levyn kanssa pääse tapahtumaan kuten monien muiden kuin salaman iskusta avautuneiden levyjen kanssa: vähän aikaa jaksaa kuunnella aivan täysillä, jonka jälkeen levy unohtuu hyllyyn. Tuntuu kuitenkin siltä, että Years in Wastea ei kuluteta aivan hetkessä loppuun.

METAL RULES.com
4/5

Omnium Gatherum started out in Karhula, Finland in 1996 and from 1997 to 2001 they released several demos which got them really good response in the underground circles. In 2002 they released the MCD STEAL THE LIGHT and the year after came the debut came called SPIRITS & THE AUGUST LIGHT. On the debut the band took on a more hard and heavier direction but yet still sophisticated, melodic and progressive side that apparently the band always have had, something that I can't judge ‘cause I never heard them before.

The pressures were high in the studio because when Omnium Gatherum already were recording a new album in Sonic Pump Studio with engineer Nino Laurene and producer Teemu Aalto their label Raging Achilles discontinued their releasing business and could not pay the studio bill. So the band had to start searching for a new label or otherwise they would have to pay the whole bill themselves. After a few weeks, they luckily got signed by Nuclear Blast.

The band has been out on the road with Children of Bodom and Zyklon and have built up their fanbase by testing the new songs live. The biography I was given describes this as melodic death metal and compares them with Swedish acts like Soilwork, The Haunted, Opeth and In Flames. That doesn't make sense to me at all. I would rather say that this is very technical melodic death metal with a lot of calmer parts but also with a lot of riffing, guitars and keyboards. On top of that we have an aggressive vocalist and a lot of tempo changes. In other words this music is very complex so the musicians are really skilled here.

The production and soundscapes are awesome and at the top of the mix we once again find sharp guitar and high class vocals. The band has put ten tracks on this album and all of the material feels equally strong.

I think that Omnium Gatherum have delivered a really strong album. In fact, this could be one of the strongest albums in this genre this year. You have to take the time to listen to it because there are a lot of details in the music that can get lost if you don't. As soon as you do that you'll find that this is really strong, well played melodic death metal. This is Finnish steel at its best! This is something that's really worth checking out if you're into melodic death metal or if you want to have a new band to follow.

Killer tracks are all of the songs and the more you listen to the album the greater it gets. Once again, YEARS IN WASTE must be one of the greater albums this year so far.

METALSTORM
Rating 8 / 10

Omnium Gatherum is a band that is not unknown to fans of melodic death metal. When people talk about Omnium Gatherum, they say that it is a band that sounds very much like the old Swedish melodic death metal bands like: Inflames, At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity and similar bands but with the difference that they have a “Finnish feeling" to their music. And this can in fact be a good description of their music because although the band seems to be mostly inspired by Swedish bands, they somehow still have their own “Finnish sound". The band themselves also mentions many diverse bands such as; Katatonia, Opeth, Death, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest amongst their influences.

Years In Waste is the bands second album and I must say that when I received this promo and looked at the cover, I thought that this will be a slow and depressive album, because the cover contains a picture of a depressed guy looking down as if he is filled with sadness and sorrow, it even reminded me of doom metal covers, very artistic, sad and cold.

But I was deceived, because the music is fast and speedy, with two guitarists who are just pumping in lots of melodies accompanied by up tempo drums and catchy growls. The music also tends to create both a happy but also some kind of “cold” atmosphere which is typical for many melodic Scandinavian bands. However, what remain most notorious are all the melodies and solos that somehow never seem to end throughout the record.

In the end, I must say that although Omnium Gatherum is a band that is inspired by bands such as Inflames, Dark Tranquillity etc. I think they are even much better and more talented than the bands that have influenced them.

LORDS OF METAL
Rating: 85 / 100

In 2003 Omnium Gatherum established their name definitively in the metal scene. After a first MCD 'Steal The Light', the first full length album 'Spirits And The August Light' was received everywhere very positive. Finnish steel at his best, that is how we can call the melodic death metal, on one side referring to Scandinavian bands as Children Of Bodom and At The Gates, but on the other hand also filled with elements of classical heavy metal like Iron Maiden.

The recordings of 'Years In Waste' were interrupted by moments of pressure. While the band was working in the studio with engineer Nino Laurenne and producer Teemu Aalto, they heard that Rage Of Achilles was not able to release the album. Luckily after a few weeks they got signed at Nuclear Blast. The music has become heavier and crusher, without loosing their affinity with melody and even a slightly progressive touch. One can sum up many influences here, but the only relevant fact is that these six musicians have made a quality album again.

The rough granular vocals of Antti Filppu bite themselves off while the rhythm section constantly kicks furiously. Two guitar players play tirelessly elegant leads and roaring riffs in the classical heavy metal tradition. In between these solid values we discover many handsome details. Meanwhile the band has toured with Children Of Bodom and Zyklon and two video clips have been made.

'Years In Waste' contains ten compact tracks full of steamy energy which will gratify a broad audience. The first three songs maintain a fast pace with heavy cutting riffs and gorgeous soloing. In 'Black Seas Cry' they quieten down a bit. The song grows spectacularly towards a climax with murdering blastbeats. Songs as 'Gravesilence' and 'The Nolan's Fati' not only breathe devastating power, but have some finger-blistering solos too. Another favourite is the mysterious 'More Withering'. A little more touring on the continent and this ball starts rolling.

SONOS METALLICOS
3,5/5

Omnium Gatherumin viime vuonna ilmestynyt debyytti-albumi Spirits And August Light lupaili parhaimmillaan jotakin piristävän uudenlaista ja jopa omaperäisen tuoretta koskettimilla maustetun hieman melodisen metallin rintamalle, mutta kokonaisuuden taintuessa keskitason alapuolelle, jäin parhaiden kappaleiden perusteella odottamaan tulevaa. Omat ajatukseni eivät olleet luonnollisestikaan yleispäteviä, minkä ansiosta Omnium Gatherum valloitti Suomessakin lukuiset lavat ja sai kerättyä ensimmäisellä albumillaan ja keikoillaan myös fanikantaa, vaikkei minkäänlaisesta suursuosiosta voidakaan puhua. Muutaman suomalaisen bändin kiinnittänyt levy-yhtiö Rage of Achilles kaatui tänä vuonna merkillisien kuvioiden takia, minkä ansiosta Amoral pakeni Spikefarmin turviin, mutta Omnium Gatherum puolestaan kiinnitettiin valonnopeudella Nuclear Blastin talliin. Nyt toisen albumin Years In Waste myötä mitataan, ovatko kuluneet vuodet olleet yhtyelle hukattua aikaa, vai nouseekö Omnium Gatherum ennakoimalleen tasolle.

Years In Waste alkaa monella tapaa juuri niin, kuin olin etukäteen toivonutkin. Vaikka ensimmäinen kappale The Fall Went Right Through Here on suoraviivaisempaa materiaalia, löytyy kappaleen riffistä ja varsinkin rytmityksistä tarpeeksi potkua. Sen sijaan moniulotteinen Waste Of Bereavement on juuri sitä, mitä haluaisin Omnium Gatherumin tekevän, eli tasapainoisesti dynaamisen metallin ja rauhallisemman suvantovaiheen välillä liikkuvaa rakentelua. Kahden ensimmäisen kappaleen hyveillä etenevä Misanthropic johdattaa albumin kliimaksiin, joka on hieman Opethin tyylinen Black Seas Cry , josta löytyy jo vahvaa tunnelmaakin, puhumattakaan 6-minuuttisen kappaleen useasta maukkaasta kerroksesta. Tällaisen utuisuuden jälkeen Years In Waste siirtyy loppuaan kohden askel askeleelta suoraviivaisempaan suuntaan, josta eniten edukseen erottuvat No Moon & No Queen, Auguries Gone ja Gravesilence ja vaikka muukaan materiaali ei järin huonoa ole, tasaantuvat useat kappaleet toistamaan hieman liian ilmiselvästi alkupään kappaleiden ideoita, mutta bändi on edennyt juuri toivottuun suuntaan, josta ei ole enää pitkää matkaa loistoon.

Ulkopuolisena on tietenkin vaikeaa tietää sitä, minkälaista musiikkia Omnium Gatherumin sävellyspuolella on kuunneltu. Silti kuulen vaikutteissa hyvin vahvasti ensimmäisen albumin elementtien lisäksi juuri Opethia, mutta ihan yhtä vaikuttavalle tasolle Years In Wastella ei edetä kuin juuri mainitsemani kliimaksin kohdalla, jonka kaltaisia kappaleita toivoisi kuulevan enemmänkin. Years In Wastella yhtye on kehittynyt muutenkin, sillä soundeista on taiottu parhaimmillaan juuri sopivalla tavalla metallista ja tunnelmallista, suoraviivaisienkin kappaleiden hyötyessä jykevistä kitaravalleista mallikkaasti. Ensimmäisellä albumilla eräs ongelma liittyi vokalisti Filpun tulkintoihin ja nyt toisella albumillaan mies kuulostaa jollakin hämärällä tavalla hieman Arch Enemyn Angela Gossowilta, mikä ei ole välttämättä huono asia omaperäisyydellään, mutta ei tässä nousta vielä kaikkein kirkkaimmalle tasolle. Sen sijaan soitanta on saanut lisää ulottuvuuksia ja varsinkin rummuissa kuullaan paikoitellen mainiota otetta, eikä kitararintamaakaan voi juuri lytätä, vaikka enemmänkin voisi toivoa.

Oikeastaan pääsen kerrankin sanomaan, että vaikka en osannutkaan ennustaa jonkin yhtyeen musiikillisia linjauksia läheskään tarkasti, niin Omnium Gatherumin tapauksessa arvasin oikein tulevan kehityksen laadun. Years In Waste ei ole vielä ihan galakseja räjäyttelevä kokonaisuus, mutta tarjoilee parhaimmillaan jotakin kotimaisittain ainutlaatuista. Ideoita on viety selvästi eteenpäin ja jos tätä linjaa jatketaan tulevaisuudessakin, voi yhtyeen kolmas albumi suuntautua vaikka miten tasokkaaseen musiikkiin, jossa yhdistyisivät Years In Wastedin parhaiden puolien tapaan monivaiheiset kappaleet, jotka olisivat tasapuolisesti metallista rymistelyä ja tunnelmaa kohottelevaa melodioitten rakentelua. Nykyaikana on kovin vaikeaa saada itseään erottumaan joukosta aivan perinteisillä ratkaisuilla, mikä näkyy juuri tälläkin albumilla, jonka keskinkertaisin aines on juuri tutun kuuloista materiaalia, mutta paras puoli onkin ideoiltaan jotakin omaperäistä ja oivaltavaa, josta saattaa kasvaa vielä jotakin yhä parempaa ja vaikuttavampaa.

+ Tasaisen hyvä ja parhaimmillaan vaikuttava kokonaisuus
+ Muutamat kappaleet erottuvat eristyisesti edukseen
+ Yhtyeen tyyli kehittynyt yhä parempaan suuntaan
+ Soundiratkaisut pääasiassa materiaaliin sopivaa laatua

- Albumin uskaliaimman materiaalin käyttö laajemmin olisi suotavaa
- Yksittäisissä elementeissä vielä varaa liikkua muutaman askeleen parempaan
- Tasaisemmat kappaleet erottuvat nopeasti paremmistaan

ASTROFAES' METAL DOMAIN

These guys must be brimming with ideas because it was only a year ago that Omnium Gatherum released their debut album! That effort could be classified as melodic death metal with an atmospheric tinge, and 'Years Of Waste' definitely falls into the same category.

However, don't be mistaken into thinking that this is a clone of the last album, for the riffs and synths are more atmospheric than ever. Omnium Gatherum never were a band to shirk using synths over riffs to create atmosphere and this is certainly more prevalent on this record. The grating vocals of Filppu still remain, and you can be certain he'll be reaching for the sore throat spray after recording this. Production, as is always the case for OG, is first class and was recorded at Sonic Pump Studio and mastered at where else but the mighty Finnvox.

Having listened to, and been a fan of their debut, this album seems to lack the power and freshness they used to have. However, don't let this put you off buying this. It's very rare that an album starts and ends with great songs, but such is the strength of OG's songwriting, they've done exactly that here. In fact, no fillers on this album chaps, so you can be assured that your money is well spent.

The Streets webzine
8/10

My impression is that the amount of metal releases from Finland is rapidly increasing these days, but despite the quantity a large part of the releases keeps a very high standard. This is also the case with Omnium Gatherum, a band that I unfortunately don't know very much about but they have received excellent feedback from both media and their label. Nuclear Blast describes the bands style like this: "If you blend the energy and groove of At The Gates with the atmosphere that Katatonia and Opeth generate, add the influence and the technical ability of Death, fuse it with the traditional 80`s heavy metal feelings of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne, you have Omnium Gatherum: Finnish Steel at its best!". Personally I would describe Omnium Gatherum as sofisticated, technical melodic death metal with lots of variation. The song material is very strong and so is the production. I must admit that it took quite a while before I really got into this album, but after several spinnings I get more and more sure that this album is a real monster and it's not a coincidence that these guys were picked up by Nuclear Blast ahead of this release. It will surprise me a lot if we don't hear al lot more from this band in the future. I had some trouble deciding wheter 'Years to waste' deserved eight or nine points, but I finally ended up with a very strong eight points.

-Even.

METAL OBSERVER
9/10

So here they are again, one of the best newcomers in 2003, the critically
acclaimed OMNIUM GATHERUM. We all know how "S.A.A.L." did wonders for the
band last year in winning tons of Metal hearts worldwide (including mine),
obviously this has boosted some confidence into the O.G. camp. A November
release date via Nuclear Blast for a second album seemed like the perfect
timing and after months of anticipation that time has finally come.

Finland's hottest hopefuls in the category "New Wave Of European Death
Metal" have taken a step in the right direction with "Years In Waste". All
the elements they had running on "S.A.A.L" have been intensified and
lifted up to higher grounds. The second sign of recent maturity in the
band is revealed in the skilled and varied song writing, penning a
memorable song doesn't seem to be the most difficult of tasks for the
talented sextet and hell, it's great to hear the cold and ghastly voice of
Antti Filppu, it took some time to appreciate his work but they really do
suit the atmosphere.

This CD has gotten large amounts of spins in my stereo, I like the music
but what really keeps the longevity from fading is the number of details
and wicked sense for progressive instrumental patterns. There's much to
discover, "Misanthrope (Let The Crown Fall)", "It's A Long Night" and
partially "Gravesilence" are short controlled bursts of well arranged
Melodic Death Metal with a rough old school attitude and even those have a
few surprises up their sleeve.

The already familiar opening pre-teaser (be sure to check the sample)
hasn't left me cold yet, it's one of the most atmospheric Death Metal
songs that has passed through my ears, everything from the crying lead
guitars, subtle keyboard shades, catchy riffs to the classic soloing, odd
time drumming and overall smell of progressiveness creates a deeper and
more elaborate sound than any of their colleagues (NORTHER, KALMAH, MORS PRINCIPIUM EST and SOILWORK to name a few). "Waste Of Bereavement" continues to forge the path but with an extra inclusion of vintage
keyboard sounds and star skied clean guitars, love the ending passages on
this one.

The album peaks with the stellar Prog reeking trinity of "Black Seas Cry",
"The Nolan's Fati" and "More Withering", all showing the present
potentials of the band as well as a small look at a possible future
direction, no words needed, must be heard to be fully graced. Another
strong track is "Auguries Gone", which has plenty of Thrashy C.O.B.
"Follow The Reaper" era riffing (compliment or the opposite, you be the
judge of that) but continues on a more melodic pace and there's enough of
lead harmonies from Markus Vanhala to make Michael Weikath blush, that
says a lot. The band has kept their misty sound but made sure to polish it
so the small things could be made more effective in complimenting the
music.

With proper promotion OMNIUM GATHERUM is sure to be the next big thing in the genre, the Finns have done their part so the office heads at Nuclear
Blast better not fuck this up hehe. "Years In Waste" is a fresh Death
Metal CD you don't wanna miss, Progressive Metal fans are also invited.
(Online January 2, 2005)

PYROMUSIC 9,5/10
9,5/10

Don't you just love it when a band delivers on their potential? Omnium
Gatherum's debut full length of 2003, the wickedly delicious 'Spirits and
August Light' hinted of a band destined for big things. As good as
'Spirit's.' was, it was the follow up that would prove their worth and
longevity. And I'll be damned if they just haven't gone and done it in the
most glorious fashion. Everything that has arrived out of Finland this
year has been extremely impressive (quite contrary to the material we've
endured from their Scandinavian neighbors in Sweden), and Omnium Gatherum
is just about the best of the bunch.

As far as Melodic death metal is concerned, 'Years in Waste' is this
year's piece de resistance! This is about as good as it fucking gets
punters. And I mean that with total respect to all that have come before
them. Perhaps the best thing about this album that it is in fact written
by a Finnish metal act and not a Swedish one. Melodic Swedish metal is
like an albatross curse at the moment.

Still THAT sound is an important element here - the use of the
'Gothenburg' sound is very much a part of what Omnium Gatherum do, but
their 'Finnish-ness' provides that subtle, and as it so happens extremely
important difference. The difference is in their riff structures (not
always 'thrash/death' inspired), their more traditional/classic metal
partiality, the never-ending melodic lead work and flamboyant atmosphere
provided by the sythn's. Back this with some incredibly tight and smart as
fuck song writing, plus a production that will have you heads down in very
quick time and the results are simply stunning.

Like 'Spirits.' the only possible downside that punters will find with
Omnium Gatherum is the somewhat acquired vocals of frontman Antti Filppu.
Once again Antti has opted to forgo the trendy move towards clean vocal
sections as others have done, and thus delivers his smart prose in his
distinctive dry rasp. Granted Antti doesn't have a tremendous range or the
power of say, a Thomas Lindberg, but in the context of his bands music,
the cold bitter aggression his voice emanates works exceptionally well.
For the uninitiated, he just takes some getting to use to.

Years in Waste is a superbly written. The energy and drive drips in bucket
loads from this album. Each track has something else about it, whether
it's a new riff pattern, a dramatic keyboard section or searing
maiden-esque lead work. It is a much faster, much heavier album than
Spirits whilst still maintaining that brilliant melodic dynamism the debut
so effortlessly captured. Furthermore, Omnium Gatherum has a great
'emotive' feel about their song writing, yet it never comes off as ham
fisted or trite in any sense.

I cannot recommend this album highly enough. As a Scandinavian melodic
death album, it sits at the very top of the tree. None shall surpass it
this year folks. If you in any way jaded by this type of sound, I plead
with you now; DO NOT IGNORE this album based on those feelings. Omnium
Gatherum is a truly exciting band and this album deserves massive
exposure. These Finn's are at the top of their game. Invest immediately.

MIASMA
8,5/10

Years in Waste -uutukaisella ovat positiiviset tunteet kaukana, sillä
yhtye kuulostaa toisella täyspitkällään todella vihaiselta ja
aggressiiviselta. Ja mikäs olisikaan suomalaiselle miehelle parempi paikka
purkaa ahdistustaan kuin raskaasti soiva musiikki? Ellei sitten
viinapulloa lasketa. Omnium Gatherumin modernin melodinen kuolonmetalli
tuntuu kasvaneen roolipelisanastoa lainatakseni useammalla levelillä.
Tämän spurtin ansiosta bändi tuntuu olevan monipuolisempi, omaperäisempi
ja ennen kaikkea progressiivisempi. Nykyisellään yhtye kuulostaakin hyvin
paljon Dream Theaterin ja In Flamesin kultaisten vuosien ristisiitokselta,
mikä on yhdistelmänä jotain todella hienoa. Jottei homma menisi
täysinjuustoiseksi kehumiseksi, niin otetaan mukaan myös hieman
negatiivisia aspekteja. Minä en pidä Antti Filpun vokaaleista. Kyllähän
mies toki karjuu ja kähisee antaumuksella ja raivolla, mutta miekkosen
panos kuulostaa tällä levyllä valitettavan monotoniselta ja
yksiulotteiselta, joten ei voi kuin sanoa, että kaipaisin tähän puoleen
hieman uusia ulottuvuuksia, varsinkin kun lätty on pullollaan pieniä
viittauksia siihen että Filppu osaa käyttää ääntään monipuolisemmin.
Kokonaisuutena Years In waste on erittäin nautinnollista kuultavaa ja se
toimii loistavana malliesimerkkinä siitä, kuinka korkeatasoista kotimainen
metalli oikeasti on. Ei siis voi kuin kiittää Omnium Gatherumin poikia
tästä laadukkaasta tekeleestä, jonka luomaan melankoliaan on mukava upota.
-Toni Peltola

ROOM THIRTEEN
13/13

Finland seems to be a hotbed for talent in the metal world, and if you
asked someone to name their five favourite metal bands, chances are at
least one of them would hail from Finland. The Finnish history of metal is
astounding; from legends like Stratovarius, right through to red hot new
offerings like Imperanon. So where do Omnium Gatherum fit in all of this?

The answer is right inbetween Children of Bodom and Norther, which is a
fair way to describe Omnium Gatherum. But before you start worrying, let
me assure you the vocals are much more Norther-like than Alexi's crazy
screaming, and as a whole the album definitly points more towards "Dreams
of Endless War" than "Hatebreeder".

But there are elements of both here that shine through on each and every
track and, much like Bodom's "Hate Crew Deathroll", the mix of tracks is
well executed too. This isn't just an hour of solid noise. Sure, there's
ferocity right through to the end, but Omnium Gatherum can fuse together
the shredding speed of Norther with the legendary guitar work of Iron
Maiden - this stuff is really, really impressive.

This album is not your typical melodic death album. If you're looking for
something to shove on and get headbanging to, grab some In Flames. Omnium
Gatherum deserve a more cynical audience who will look at the album from a
fair perspective, and if you do that you'll agree it's astonishing.

Tracks that really make me want to rush to Finland are "The Fall Went
Right Through Here" and a song that won't leave my CD player for weeks,
"Waste of Bereavement". Both these songs act as an epitah for just how
astonishingly great Omnium Gatherum are.

So, if you didn't enjoy 'Death Unlimited', and 'Trashed, Lost & Strungout'
doesn't tickle your fancy, grab a copy of 'Years in Waste' and be very,
very satisfied

METAL MAYHEM
8,5/10

Although it took a few plays for me to form an opinion, in the end, Omnium
Gathering really impressed me. Whilst they are not the greatest Melodic
Death Metal band I have heard, they are by no means amongst the worst. The
band are not afraid to use a bit of keyboard here and there (NOT! the
Children of Bodom up-front style) which, along with the whole dual guitar
thing, really creates some interesting atmospheres and passages, opener
"The Fall Went Right Through Here" is a prime example of just how
keyboards can be used to enhance the sound. Another thing that didn't
really impress me at first was Antti Filppu's almost barked style of
vocals, after a few listens though they will start to grow on you. So, to
sum things up, you must give "Years In Wait" a chance, you may not think
it a first, but it's a pretty strong Melodic Death Metal Album that is
really refreshing to hear. I've got a feeling this wont be the last we
hear of them!

SILENT STAGNATION
4.5/6

Omnium Gatherum's first album "Spirits and August Light" was released at
the middle of last year by UK's Rage of Achilles Records. OG alredy
recorded this album for Rage Of Achilles, unfortunately they stopped the
label business and OG was forced to find another label! This was their
stroke of luck and Nuclear Blast inked them for this album. Already at
their first album OG was able to combine blistering Swedish fueled death
metal with atmosphere but with "Years In Waste" they continue their
progression to one of the leading innovative melodic metal bands! The
first two songs "The Fall Went Right Through Here" & "Waste Of
Bereavement" blew me away right from the start with their apocalyptically
melodic death metal with razor-sharp guitar riffs and the "hymnal"
keyboard sound that adds this doomsday mood to every song! For the
following songs I needed some time but in the end the album as a whole
appeals to me! The followers are part-wise harder although they still
added a lot melodic leads and keyboard sounds but my overall impression is
the heavier sound! Beside wonderful melodic leads they also throw in
moshing riffs at "It's A Long Night" and OG perfectly combine hard (but
still melodic) death metal with beautiful guitar and keyboard harmonies.
Also "No Moon & No Queen" is another heavy track where the music is also
forced by double-bass paced drums and beside their musical ablities I
really like the vocalist, although he often screams and shouts his vocals
have an emotional (even depressing) touch! Perhaps the melodic death metal
record of the year especially because OG don't play the classically style
and instead extend it with wonderful harmonies and their very own sound.
"Years In Waste" is a selfcontained album and I just love to listen to it!
(marcel)

TRANSCENDING THE MUNDANE

Omnium Gatherum (which Merriam Webster defines as "a miscellaneous
collection; as of things or persons") is a melodic death metal unit from
the wastes of Karhula, Finland. The band dates back to 1996 and describes
its music as a blend of At The Gates, Katatonia, Death and Judas Priest.
They recorded their first demo, Forbidden Decay, in 1997. Following that
were the Omnium Gatherum EP in 1998 and the Gardens, Temples.This Hell!
MCD in 1999. Their fourth demo, Wastrel was released in 2001 and promoted
widely to companies and magazines. At this point the permanent line-up was
in place, and Terrorizer brought high praise: "There is a sense of
something special happening ... If I could apply the word 'beautiful' to
metal songs then I would do so here." Soon thereafter, the up and coming
British label Rage of Achilles Records inked the band and they re-recorded
and released Wastrel as a MCD under the title Steal The Light. It got
great reviews worldwide. Next up was their first full-length, 2003's
Spirits And August Light. Metal Hammer boasted that "If Opeth are the Pink
Floyd of [the European death metal] scene, then Omnium Gatherum are likely
to turn into Rush at the very least." Their latest full-length, Years In
Waste, sees them entering the spotlight as an established, anticipated
act. Now with Nuclear Blast and with expectations high, how would they
respond to the pressure?

The answer is quite well. Right off the bat, with "The Fall Went Right
Through Here," they return to the melodic brand of death metal that served
them so well on Spirits. Attacking, guitarists Markus Vanhala and Harri
Pikka hit quick, choppy riffs while vocalist Antti Filppu barks in our
ear. "I'm so fucking tired. Why can't I be alright?" he screams, as
drummer Jarmo Pikka goes into thrash mode and nearly knocks his ride
cymbal off. Ah, these guitar leads at the 3:00 mark are divine-technically
adept and no wankery. "Waste Of Bereavement" comes out heavier, cleaner,
thrashier; before locking into some great death grooves. Listen for the
keyboards that deepen the soundscape here-Omnium Gatherum uses synth as
tastefully as anyone. Filppu sounds like he's swallowing razor blades. His
lyrics are like some warped version of "New York, New York": "If I can't
make it here I'm not gonna' make it/If not here, I'm not gonna' make it
anywhere/Anywhere, anywhere." I don't understand some reviewers'
complaints about him-I think he fits this group perfectly. Listen to the
boys jam out this ending, slowly bringing things down to a point of
melodic, atmospheric bliss. They make it look so damn easy. Churning
double bass death will get your head banging on "Misanthropic (Let The
Crown Fall)." This one's dirty, ugly and the lyrics are ominous: "It's not
a question of who's the meanest mother fucker on earth/It's not a question
of who gives or who doesn't give a fuck/"Maahan miehet, maahan miekat,
maahan." Where's my Finnish translator? As "Black Seas Cry" begins with
beautiful acoustic picking and soaring harmonies, I think of fellow Finns
Insomnium. The lyrics, with their dark natural imagery, also recall that
band: "And the greater the sorrow/The more trees will grow from where it
began/If I cry now it's too much/But I'll let them hear, bringing the seas
near/To know what it's like." Listen to the wonderful synth interlude at
the 4:20 mark-a taste of spacy prog rock for you 70s head out there. As
the keyboards wane, the rest of the band goes utterly ballistic here as
the song fades out. If you doubt Omnium Gatherum's ability to blend
complicated rhythms and superb melodies, I present to you as Exhibit A,
"No Moon & No Queen." Pikka and bassist Janne Markkanen carry the day here
as the band explores an endless number of sections, segueing from one to
the next almost as if by magic. There is a technical quality here that is
subtle, but undeniable. Vanhala and Pikka provide another crucial piece
with an endless series of harmonic runs and adept leads that make every
second sound richer. "Gravesilence" is another track with multiple twists
and turns. You could mosh ten different ways to this one. Savor the little
details, like the neat tom breakdown by Pikka, the insane technical
rhythms at the 3:10 mark, or the deeply personal lyrics: "True depression
is different, isn't it?/If I can't cut it out and direct the force to
something useful, I'll make the right decision/And it's not like a real
suicide." Check out the mind-bending scales employed by Vanhala and Pikka
on "The Nolan's Fati." And some of these arpeggios reminds me of little
tricks that Eddie Van Halen used to throw around in the early 80s. The
keyboard work here might be the best on the album yet. I am reminded of
depressive death/doom acts like Katatonia and My Dying Bride when "More
Withering" plays. It's slow, brutal, and Filppu even employs some clean
vocals to provide a bit of Goth feel. Spirits And August Light closed on a
strong note, and so does Years In Waste. The grooves on "Auguries Gone"
are fantastic (slam your HEAD), and I love some of the snare work that
Pikka gets into. He's still going nuts near the 2:00 mark while his
guitarists work through dark and light sections via gorgeous leads. It's
incredible how much is going on here, and how they hold it together. It
all ends on a heavy note, with the band crescendoing through a delicious
thrash section.

It's no secret why Omnium Gatherum is at the top of the Melodic Death
scene. They are simply better songwriters than 90% of their peers. It's
been a decade since Tales Of A Thousand Lakes was released, but suddenly,
Finland is a hot commodity again with albums like Lovecraftian Dark,
Nattfodd, Since The Day It All Came Down, and Farmakon torturing speakers
worldwide. To this list must now be added Years In Waste and one can only
assume that this young band's best days still lie ahead.

Reviewed by: Ladd Everitt

METALREVIEWS.com
85/100

Omnium Gatherum is another casualty of the implosion of Rage of Achilles records. They managed to get signed to Nuclear Blast virtually days after being left without a label. No small part of the decision to sign this band was their debut album, Spirits and August Light, which really turned many heads in the metal world. Eagerly anticipating their new album, Nuclear Blast made the band a priority and got the album out. Another smart decision as the new disc is fantastic.
While their first disc was packed with upbeat melodies and experimentation, Years in Waste changes direction radically. It is far darker and gloomier with more depressing and introspective lyrics. This is already apparent from the album cover. The band explores pain and depression in their music. Certain flairs have been added as well. On a whole, the album feels far more complete than their debut. While I was left wanting more from the first album, this disc has the closure the first album lacked. Song structures are more varied including some beautiful instrumental work. When the band recorded this album, it's clear that they had much better guidance from their studio team. The actual sound is very similar to the debut album. Noticeable from the beginning of the disc however is one small production fault. The bass is at a very low level for the entire disc. I had to bass-boost this album to the max to be able to get the full body to the music. While this is not a critical flaw, it should have been taken into consideration. Synth sound arrangement has also changed. Very few of the tracks have synth leads and there are no electronic solos at all. This aspect of the music has been relegated to a supporting role. Drummer Jarno Pikka seems to be holding back at his craft as well. He has a good role in the band but there seem to be few fills and unique patterns on the disc. A little creativity with the drumming would have made a drastic impact.
Opeth seems to have influenced the band greatly since their last album. Many parts of this disc made me think of the Swedish prog-death pioneers. From the first notes of "Gravesilence" you're reminded of many of Opeth's tri-tone melodies and arrangements. One of the bridges even has an acoustic part that really drives the Opeth influence home. Once Antti Filppu's vocals come in, there is no doubt that this is not Opeth. Filppu's voice has a great tone and deep warble to it that certainly makes him the right choice in singer for this band. On several tracks he experiments in choruses and breakdowns with clean vocals and they do sound good for the few seconds we get to hear them. "Auguries Gone” is the track where he spreads his wings the most so to speak. This track is the hardest one of the disc and has a really crushing intro and verse. The chorus builds up the thick melodies and then the solo kicks ass.
Anyone who loved the popish songs on the first disc will be disappointed that they pretty much dropped that sound. They did progress significantly from that as evidenced by the brilliant, sorrowful and poignant “Black Seas Cry.” It's a ballad that is a wicked ride. A slow droning verse which is almost hypnotic is mixed along with a progressive instrumental section in the middle of the song. It's a feast for the ears. The first single, “The Fall Went Right Thorough Here” showcases about as much of the older style sound that you're going to get on this disc. Yet even this song is much harder in the verses than most anything on the debut. Bottom line is that this is a brilliant album and the ideal follow up to their last album. Not quite good enough for Album of the Month, but it's damn good. I wouldn't be surprised if this shows up on my best of list for the year.

Killing Songs : Black Seas Cry, The Fall Went Right Through Here, Gravesilence
JAY

GLOBAL DOMINATION
8/10

I, like many metalheads my age, was introduced to “underground” Scandinavian music through Gothenburg bands. Although I won't be selling off my In Flames or (especially not) my Dark Tranquillity albums any time soon, I have moved on to other things, for the most part.
I mention all that because I know (because I'm a goddamned genius) that most people lump Omnium Gatherum in with all the bullshit, cookie-cutter Gothenburg-style melodic death bands. I, however, think that they deserve better than that.
OG (yeah, they're original gangstas) have produced a sound on this album that is thrashy, sometimes technically complicated, sometimes groovy, and, yes, with touches of melody. Someone on this site (can't remember who) said that every band from Finland plays either ultra-cheesy elf metal or extremely brutal grind. Omnium Gatherum could be the middle ground, I suppose, occupying the territory with Amorphis and Sentenced (not that they sound alike, except for dashes of the melancholy those other two Finnish bands are known for).
The guitar work on “Years in Waste” is nothing very flashy or over-the-top. The riffs are very thrashy and often groovy or catchy. They never reach, say, Cryptopsy speed, but aren't content to wallow in mid-paced drudgery, either. Instead, they range from the typical melodic death speed to frenzied thrash attacks (how many times has that phrase been used in the history of metal?). A few leads are thrown in and don't overstay their welcome or become overindulgent wankery. They fit the songs and add a break from the main riffs without being incongruous or distracting. Overall, the guitar has a pleasant and varied sound throughout. A good example of the thrashy sound can be found at the beginning of the song “Misanthropic (Let the Crown Fall)” which is appropriately titled, as it is possibly the heaviest and fastest of the album. “It's a Long Night” also begins with a cool, old school thrash kind of feeling in its opening riff. “More Withering”, the penultimate song, is a slower, dirge of a song that allows the band's melancholic groove to be experienced. There are some seriously cool, slower riffs in this song, particularly the chorus riff. Throughout the album, the bass can be heard. It never does anything spectacular, and there aren't any bass solos or anything, but it does an adequate job of lending some heaviness to the riffs.
The drumming is precise and often fast. Double bass pounding is complemented by some interesting fills here and there. The drums aren't very loud in the mix, but aren't reduced to clicks and dull thuds, either. It's clear that the focus of this album was placed on the guitar and keyboards.
“What the fuck? Keyboards? Shit, I'm leaving!”
No, please stay. It's not what you think! Or, maybe it is. Your opinion on the keyboard in this album will depend pretty much on your overall feeling about keyboards in metal. If you enjoy the keyboards in Dark Tranquillity, you might enjoy these, as they're used in roughly the same amount. However, whereas DT stick primarily to piano and harpsichord patches, OG opt to go for more of a synthesized organ sound, which I dig. The keyboard lines often gallop along with the riffs, providing the melody when the guitars thrash, but are often found intoning ominously in the background, providing atmosphere. At times the keyboards have a similar tone to those used in old prog stuff, and sometimes lend a unique sound to songs that would sound pretty generic otherwise.
Antti Filppu, aside from having a few too many consonants in his name, is another reason OG are cool in my book (which is really just a dictionary, because it looks thick and important). He is also another reason that this band should not be thrown into the oversaturated, overplayed Gothenburg genre. Rather than using the all-too-popular semi-growl and tuneless singing, Antti (if this is pronounced like the word “Aunty” then he just got cooler) uses a raspy, hoarse scream reminiscent of Schuldiner and Tardy, without sounding like he's ripping off either one. His screams are also intelligible, which is a plus, as his lyrics are pretty good. Aside from a few possible translation goofs and a few lines which seem too angsty, the lyrics are well-written and poetic. They also touch a variety of topics: the song “Waste of Bereavement” details the struggle to make it big coming from a small town and the simultaneous hatred and love for one's homeland that arises from the struggle (being from Alabama, I guess that struck a chord with me) while “Misanthropic (Let the Crown Fall)”, which is the next song, is about Ragnarok and contains a reference to the Kalevala. Interspersed throughout the album are lines inspired by Keats, quotes from Aleister Crowley, and references to pagan folklore. All of it is very interesting and works very well together. (EXTRA: A commentary about the lyrics can be found on the band's website, if you care.)
This is an album that has definitely grown on me. I was ready to dismiss it as another IF, DT, ATG knock-off (using initials lets people know you're cool) band. However, upon repeated listens, the thrash, organ, and Annti's harsh vocals and insightful lyrics have conspired to make me appreciate this band's unique approach to metal. Repeated listens are necessary to pick up on all of the nuances; I often find myself listening to this and thinking, “That's badass! How did I miss that part before?” Over repeated listens, my favorites have become "The Nolan's Fati" for its thrashy goodness and "More Withering" for its slower, deadly groove.
P.S. Antti wears cool shirts on stage.
By: Lumberjack

BW&BK
8,5/10

Back like a defiant, irascible scourge, invisible veterans Omnium Gatherum continue to build their reputation as the Dark Tranquillity of Finland, in sort below the radar miniature. No mistake, this is the junior band with the most death thrashin´ potential, and why that is has a lot to do with the fact that the band´s motivations are impervious to criticism. No ghey NWOUSM melodies for these guys, but still, there´s a fair bit of melody. Only thing is, where this melody goes is somewhat spooky, say toward Evergrey or Opeth, rather than some tangle inside American emo hardcore corporate radio. No, what Omnium Gatherum get up to – when not building a wall of fast uncompromising, precise Swedish-style thrash – is a sort of spooky progressive, psychedelic, gothic sense of atmosphere. On punished mic, Antti Filppu offers a hollowed-out, hoarse presence, like he´s been exhorting you to believe until the campaign trail faithful have to strain to hear him, knowing they must, because it´s very important. Very rhythmic, very dramatic, very Finnish, Years In Waste sounds like the solemn work of a Soilwork with permanent scowls.
-Martin Popoff

LEGACY MAGAZINE
12/13

Neuerlich um einiges progressiver als noch in ihrer Vergangenheit unterwegs, zeigen sich die fünf Finnen Omnium Gatherum auf ihrem zweiten Studio-Album “Years In Waste” zum wiederholten Male von einer neuen kreativen Seite. Ihr neuerdings hochgradig athmosphärischer und melodischer death thrash metal gewinnt damit enorm an Variabilität. Was also mit dem Melodic Black Metal mini-album “Steal the Light” im Jahr 2002 begann und über das reifere 2003er Debüt-album “Spirits And August Light” weitergeführt wurde, findet hier seinen vorläufigen Höhepunkt. Eigenständigkeit ist hier neben unzähligen kompositorischen Einfällen das Schlagwort der Stunde. Das macht “Years In Waste” insgesamt aber auch schwerer zugänglich. Voll-in-die-Fresse-Thrash-Anleihen docken in immer überraschenden Abständen an rastlos pumpende Melodic Death Metal-stationen an, in welchen das findige Quintett bereits surrealistische Keyboard-Sequenzen verstaut hat, hervorragend zu hören im sechsten Track “No Moon & No Queen”, dessen bombastische Atmosphären von faszinierender Erscheinung sind. In diesem wahrlich superben Stück an anspruchsvollem Finnen-Metall haben sie sichauch besonders viel Mühe mit der Gitarrenarbeit gamacht, die nach dem Mittelteil des Songs beinahe zauberische Saitenkunst von höchsten Gnaden bietet. Mit solcherlei edler Spielkultur dürften Omnium Gatherum mühelos auch Metaller anderer Subkategorien auf ihre Seite ziehen. Ein weiteres Glanzlicht stilvoller Riff-Kunst setzen sie mit dem acten Song “The Nolan´s Fati”. Die druckvoll gefahrene Produktion wird der ausgesprochen hohen Energie der zehn enthaltenen Stücke jederzeit vollkommen gerecht, so dass dieses Album richteg schön aus den Boxen böllert.
-Marcus Eck

HARDRADIO.COM
8,5/10

Back like a defiant, irascible scourge, invisible veterans Omnium Gatherum continue to build upon their reputation as the Dark Tranquillity of Finland, in sort of below the radar miniature. No mistake, this is the junior band with the most death thrashin' potential, and why that is has a lot to do with the fact that the band's motivations are impervious to criticism. No ghey NWOUSM melodies for these guys, but still, there' a fair bit of melody. Only thing is, where this melody goes is somewhat spooky, say toward Evergrey or Opeth, rather than some tangle inside American emo hardcore corporate radio. No, what Omnium Gatherum get up to - when not building a wall of fast, uncompromising, precise Swedish-style thrash - is a sort of spooky progressive, psychedelic, gothic sense of atmosphere. On punished mic, Antti Filppu offers a hollowed-out, hoarse presence, like he's been exhorting you to believe until the campaign trail faithful have to strain to hear him, knowing they must, because it's important. Very rhythmic, very dramatic, very Finnish, Years In Waste sounds like the solemn work of a Soilwork with permanent scowls.
Rating 8.5

METALBITE
8,2/10

Standing firmly in pure defiance of their Scandinavian brethren's foray into more commercial territories, Omnium Gatherum waste no time in blasting forth a fantastically technical, old-school melodic death metal feast. And, while the roots of Years In Waste are most certainly planted in the mid-to-late 90's heyday of melodic death metal, there are more than enough fresh ideas and time-signature left turns to keep it exciting.

I think the thing I love most about this album and this band is the subtle, yet often times brilliantly layered harmonies they weave into the grit of the death metal. Check out the multilayer guitar/keyboard atmospheric passage after the intro riff (00:19 - 00:38) to "The Fall Went Right Through Here" as well as my vote for coolest riff of the year in "No Moon & No Queen" (00:28 - 00:42). Try not to get chills the first time you hear it. Also, check out the nod to Opeth in song "Gravesilence".

The band also ventures into mellower territories with aplomb in "Black Seas Cry" and "More Withering", which brings me to my next accolade of this criminally overlooked band: DYNAMICS. Far too many bands fall into the waters of stagnation, especially in the overcrowded melo-death scene, but Omnium Gatherum seems all but unable to write boring songs. The guitarwork is technical and interesting (a feat in and of itself), the songwriting is intelligent and memorable, and the mood changes are inspiring and a welcome change of pace from the typical melodic death polka beat-meets-At The Gates rip-off riffing.

My only gripe with this album, and it is a minor one, is the production quality. It's a bit thin sounding and they would do themselves a huge favor by making a trip to Antfarm Studios, Studio Fredman or Hansen Studios. But, along with Mors Principium Est, these Finns may be able to jump-start the stagnant melodic death scene that seemed so close to starting a revolution in extreme music in the mid-90's.

I'm going out on a limb, and by saying this I know I'm making a whole legion of enemies, but this is the band Dark Tranquillity WISHES they were. Omnium Gatherum are better songwriters, have more technical ability are just far more interesting to listen to.

Bottom Line: If you were turned off by the recent output of heavy hitters like Soilwork and In Flames and crave that old-school melodic death with a whole new twist and absolutely KILLER songwriting, Omnium Gatherum is your poison.

Categorical Rating Breakdown
Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 7
Originality: 8
Overall: 8
Rating: 8.2 out of 10

METALREVIEWS.COM
85 / 100

Omnium Gatherum is another casualty of the implosion of Rage of Achilles records. They managed to get signed to Nuclear Blast virtually days after being left without a label. No small part of the decision to sign this band was their debut album, Spirits and August Light, which really turned many heads in the metal world. Eagerly anticipating their new album, Nuclear Blast made the band a priority and got the album out. Another smart decision as the new disc is fantastic.
While their first disc was packed with upbeat melodies and experimentation, Years in Waste changes direction radically. It is far darker and gloomier with more depressing and introspective lyrics. This is already apparent from the album cover. The band explores pain and depression in their music. Certain flairs have been added as well. On a whole, the album feels far more complete than their debut. While I was left wanting more from the first album, this disc has the closure the first album lacked. Song structures are more varied including some beautiful instrumental work. When the band recorded this album, it's clear that they had much better guidance from their studio team. The actual sound is very similar to the debut album. Noticeable from the beginning of the disc however is one small production fault. The bass is at a very low level for the entire disc. I had to bass-boost this album to the max to be able to get the full body to the music. While this is not a critical flaw, it should have been taken into consideration. Synth sound arrangement has also changed. Very few of the tracks have synth leads and there are no electronic solos at all. This aspect of the music has been relegated to a supporting role. Drummer Jarno Pikka seems to be holding back at his craft as well. He has a good role in the band but there seem to be few fills and unique patterns on the disc. A little creativity with the drumming would have made a drastic impact.
Opeth seems to have influenced the band greatly since their last album. Many parts of this disc made me think of the Swedish prog-death pioneers. From the first notes of "Gravesilence" you're reminded of many of Opeth's tri-tone melodies and arrangements. One of the bridges even has an acoustic part that really drives the Opeth influence home. Once Antti Filppu's vocals come in, there is no doubt that this is not Opeth. Filppu's voice has a great tone and deep warble to it that certainly makes him the right choice in singer for this band. On several tracks he experiments in choruses and breakdowns with clean vocals and they do sound good for the few seconds we get to hear them. "Auguries Gone” is the track where he spreads his wings the most so to speak. This track is the hardest one of the disc and has a really crushing intro and verse. The chorus builds up the thick melodies and then the solo kicks ass.
Anyone who loved the popish songs on the first disc will be disappointed that they pretty much dropped that sound. They did progress significantly from that as evidenced by the brilliant, sorrowful and poignant “Black Seas Cry.” It's a ballad that is a wicked ride. A slow droning verse which is almost hypnotic is mixed along with a progressive instrumental section in the middle of the song. It's a feast for the ears. The first single, “The Fall Went Right Thorough Here” showcases about as much of the older style sound that you're going to get on this disc. Yet even this song is much harder in the verses than most anything on the debut. Bottom line is that this is a brilliant album and the ideal follow up to their last album. Not quite good enough for Album of the Month, but it's damn good. I wouldn't be surprised if this shows up on my best of list for the year.

Killing Songs : Black Seas Cry, The Fall Went Right Through Here, Gravesilence
-Jay

URANIUM MUSIC

Melodic Death has almost become as boring as typical metalcore. Just like the breakdowns that aren't really heavy after a few listens, there are melodies that don't really sufficiently supply you with that feeling akin to being beaten by a couple of feather pillows in the face. Bands like In Flames and Soilwork have started to embrace some American rock stylings, which is not a good thing. Arch Enemy are just there as of now, and bands like Arsis are seemingly fighting an already lost fight trying to get people to regain interest in the genre. Don't get me wrong, Dark Tranquillity are great, but two bands are hardly enough to keep a single style from becoming bland. Luckily, we have bands like Mors Principium Est and Omnium Gatherum (Eerily, both have names routed in Latin. A hint in bands to look for?) coming from Finland daily to put a mellow spin and groove into their music.

As they showed in their fantastic debut, "Spirits and August Light," Omnium Gatherum specialized in a completely unique style of melodic death. Yes I said unique, as in originality; as in they fucking created it. They injected along with blastbeats and soaring melodies that made every last hair on your neck stand up a sense of mellow composition into their music, and every follicle on your arm rise up as the the incredible soloing ability of the band calmly blasted (If I can use mellow death, I can use calmly blasted, aye?) complete brilliance into your ear. Along with all of the aforementioned traits, along with Arsis, they still retained a very technical sense to their music.

However, upon the first listen to "Years in Waste," I was almost inclined to think Nuclear Blast had maybe watered their sound down unintentionally. I mean, let's face it. They were THE label about a year ago for melodic death bands, and now they're almost monopolizing the genre. Immediately, I was afraid Omnium Gatherum had succumbed as well. Delightfully, I proved myself wrong after about two listens. The opener "The Fall Went Right Through Here" is a trip back to "Spirits and August Light" style melodic overkill that has a chorus which will unwillingly adhere to your cranial walls for days. The Friden-esque croons strangely add to it as well, whenever he yells in the chorus: "I'M SO FUCKING TIRED." The second track, though, sounded a good bit different. There was no central chorus melody, no "feather-pillowed-in-the-face" feel. Yeah, it's clear that Omnium Gatherum have decided to take a more technical route than in "Spirits and August Light." The song sounds so evil, and changes tempo quite a few times, until the classic chorus comes in where the tempo drops significantly, and you understand what's so mellow about them.

The fourth track, "Black Seas Cry," was also another epoch of this CD melodically. The accoustic opening features some chord dissection reminiscent of "The Perfumed Garden" from their debut, with a decent amount of song progression. Overall, a very depressing but beautiful tune, and one of my personal favourites from the CD. "It's A Long Night" is one of the thrashiest tunes Omnium Gatherum has to offer, and quickly interchanges between uplifting and depressing pre-chorus passages and interludes, displaying some proficiency and diversity over their own creation, which seems to be something most bands lack. They create some new fusion or reach some tempo where their music sounds uncontrolled, but like Vader, Omnium Gatherum easily mesh their emotional flows together, never leaving a single transition feeling awkward or unneeded. Afterwards comes another standout track on the CD, "No Moon & No Queen." The tension-building intro leads into a blossoming melody, with a verse utilizing some subtle and melodic leading, into a chorus that will make you want to spend the rest of the listen spacing out. This is pretty much the final moment you'll feel like that. The next minute or two will be intense and speedy palm-muting riffing, and some exploding melodies with a few hints of off-kilter drum and guitar meshing, and a very nice dual solo towards the end.

The next track, "Gravesilence," starts out with a very slow and evil melody, and compliments it in the chorus as well, with some high-key tabbing that's the guitar equivalent of screaming out in a suspenseful terror. "The Nolan's Fati," I felt, was one of the less interesting tracks on the CD, or at least I though until the pre-chorus acoustic interlude and chorus melody started playing. They do some pretty wild work with the central low scale-climbing melody that changes nearly everytime you hear it, displaying the musical proficiency I was harping about earlier.

"More Withering," just as the song title implies, is heavly themed on depression. The low-pitch growling meshed with the clean vocals reminiscent of Moonspell, along with the slow, pseudo-chugging music. "Auguries Gone," starts out almost the exact opposite of it's predecessor. Very speedy tempo, with a following riff that reminds me alot of the opening riff in "Bloodline" by Slayer. When the chorus finally hits at about 1:40, you're finally presented with the blossoming melody that's almost become their trademark sound.

I've never really believed that bands showed their true colours until their sophomore CD. Compared to "Spirits and August Light," I really couldn't be arsed to match them up to each other, but they don't really sound like the same band. Sounds like a pretty major transition has occured, that's neither evolution or regression. Apart from the opener, this sounded nothing like it. However, if they continue to change this radically and hold to the style that they're forging now of blossoming and highly emotional melodies, then maybe there is actually hope for melodic death, post-At The Gates.

GET READY TO ROCK!
3,5/5

Well, it seems like the prayers of all the people who wanted to hear something different from the already "overcrowded" Gothenburg Death Metal scene have finally been answered. What is really funny though, is that the answer didn't come from one of the biggest cities in Sweden, but from the neighbouring country Finland.
A sextet from the country of the thousand lakes named Omnium Gatherum has released their second studio album "Years in Waste", an effort that indicates that there is a need for change and progression in a genre that is slowly starting to decay.
The band first came to life in 1996 in a place called Karhula, and spend the first four years recording demo tapes that brought them in contact with the Scandinavian underground Metal scene.
Many magazines started to show their interest in the band, which pretty soon recorded their debut album "Spirits and August Light". Problems with their previous record label made their future look quite uncertain, but at the most crucial time Nuclear Blast stepped in and offered them a contract.
Two years after the release of their debut album and with Mika Jussila being once again the producer, the sextet entered Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, and recorded their new and quite interesting studio album.
The first look at the album cover of "Years in Waste" gives you the impression that Omnium Gatherum's style will be closer to that of bands like Katatonia and Opeth, which is partly the truth in this case. The chore of the band's music though, consists of heavy/rhythmical guitar riffs and Death Metal vocals like the ones that Dark Tranquillity, In Flames and the amazing At The Gates all use.
Now if you combine the atmosphere of the first and the aggression of the latter, and also add moments of progressive "madness" influenced by bands like Dream Theater what you are left with is the recipe of the band's sound.
The album kicked off in the best possible way with the heavy but equally melodic "The Fall Went Right Through Here". The main role is distributed between the guitars (Markus Vanhala, Harri Pikka) and the keyboards (Jukka Perala) and throughout this ten-track album you will witness a constant battle over which of the two instruments will prevail.
I was also quite impressed by "Black Sea Cry", a melodic composition and probably the most emotional song of the album. I really loved this composition, even though I believe that Annti Filppu (vocals) should become a bit more involved in the whole atmosphere of the song. Other songs that did manage to stand out in my opinion are "No Moon & No Queen" (very interesting guitar melodies), and the quite atmospheric "More Withering".
I really cannot say that I was blown away by "Years in Waste", but I understand and acknowledge its importance. Omnium Gatherum didn't just prove that the fans and the music press should take them quite seriously, but also that we should still expect good things in the future from the Scandinavian Metal scene. Their next album is definitely going to be added to my future purchase list.
Review by John Stefanis

HOLY METAL
7,5/10

A seguito della pubblicazione di un album ed un mini-cd per l'etichetta inglese Rage Of Achilles, gli a me sinora sconosciuti Omnium Gatherum sono pronti a spiccare il volo sotto l'egida della Nuclear Blast, sempre più asso pigliatutto della scena metal. I finnici dimostrano, con questo "Years In Waste", che la firma di un deal tanto prestigioso non è certo frutto del caso, bensì un traguardo raggiunto grazie ad innegabili qualità compositive che rendono la loro proposta degna di interesse (ma non certo rivoluzionaria), e ad una propria ben definita personalità che consente loro di presentarsi in un genere ultimamente in evidente saturazione quale il death metal, senza il rischio di essere catalogati come inutile band clone. Certo, dei tanto sbandierati richiami a band quali Opeth e Katatonia, sinceramente non vi è traccia alcuna; certamente i cinque strumentisti hanno dalla loro una solida preparazione tecnica, ma le loro composizioni non risentono di un approccio strettamente progressivo, e, pur basandosi su cascate di riffs, puntano all'impatto senza risultare eccessivamente prolisse, ed anche nei momenti in cui le atmosfere si fanno più rilassate , non presentano particolari accostabili all'introspezione della gothic band di cui sopra. Elemento distintivo del sound del gruppo è l'utilizzo delle quasi onnipresenti tastiere, che arricchiscono la gamma sonora, fungendo alternativamente da collante armonico o da controparte melodica, pur non sovrastando mai per volume ed intensità le imprescindibili sei corde.
E così l'orecchio viene subito investito dalla scossa tellurica "The Fall Went Right Through There", una delle song più convincenti del lotto che unisce con naturalezza al genere di partenza un groove thrash moderno in parte debitore dei Nevermore e degli assoli veloci ed ipertecnici, e passa dolorante attraverso le dieci tracce, tra cui giova ricordare la complessa "Gravesilence" che alterna tristi melodie in forma di mid-tempo ad assalti all'arma bianca, la classicheggiante "No Moon & No Queen" esempio di raffinata orchestrazione, il solenne death metal di "Misanthropic (Let The Crown Fall)", e l'epicità di "More Withering".
Un gruppo da tenere d'occhio, che in futuro, affinando ulteriormente il loro stile e magari inserendovi qualche innovazione, potrebbero regalare liete sorprese.

LIVE4METAL

The press release that came with this promo states at the top in big, bold letters, “Style: Melodic Death”. Seeing at I had requested this cd specifically after reading on their website that they play a helluva lot of eighties style solos, I was expecting something a bit more old school. I really couldn't face any more Swedish style MD (although Omnium Gatherum are actually Finnish) and so I hit the Play button with great trepidation. Now to be honest, when I first heard this cd, I didn't like it. I couldn't hear anything unique or different that made them stand out from the usual, overly saturated MD scene. I even put it on a second time the next day and felt exactly the same. I didn't dislike it as such; I just had no positive

feelings whatsoever. So when it came to putting pen to paper and writing up this review, I delayed it for as long as possible, much to the dismay of our lovely editors here no doubt! To hate a band is one thing but to feel completely nonchalant towards them is just a pain in the arse and doesn't bode well for good reading. So I slapped “Years In Waste” on my Walkman, whilst planning to write about their mediocrity. However…. yep you probably saw this coming; they're actually rather good. As first track, “The Fall Went Right Through Here” came on, I found myself becoming quite moved by the atmosphere. OG are a six-piece band, with one member on keyboards and two guitarists. If you were immediately thinking of Children Of Bodom (as I did) you'd be mistaken as OG have a colder, bleaker vive. Anyway, keyboardist, Jukka Perala plays a mean er….keyboard! Keyboards in Metal usually piss me off to be honest but the combination of the keyboard intro on this track and the melancholic, futuristic main riff works really well. Vocalist, Antti Filppu doesn't have the best voice, often lacking a “grace” which would be more suited to the intricacies of the music. He actually reminded me of a more gravelly version of Arch Enemy's previous vocalist, Johan Livia. What did please me though is that there are no clean vocals on this album with the exception of “More Withering” which is not really clean as such but more Gothic-style vocals. Despite my initial perceptions, OG are actually a cut above the rest, even if they do take a few listens. The guitar work, as their site suggests, is excellent, particularly on tracks, “Misanthropic (Let The Crown Fall)” and “The Nolans Faith” which even the Amott brothers would be impressed by. The latter track even reminded me of the odd Van Halen riff. You can definitely hear a lot of influences particularly in my favourite track, “Black Seas Cry” which had me thinking of Symbolic-era Death with its similar atmosphere of despair. Indeed, there's a sorrowful feel that runs through the album that tends to set them apart from the other MD bands. The melodies are very catchy but not in a twee, irritating way, which is what warmed me to them as their bleakness is not atypical MD. I'm usually very indignant when listening to a new band that I can figure them out within the first minute. Well this band certainly proved me wrong. Fans of MD will certainly love this but do me a favour, if you wouldn't normally go near this genre, take it from me, this band are in a different league and are certainly not deserving of the slating I was going to give them!

STALKER MUSIC
4-/5

Ja näin Omnium Gatherum iskee uuden melkoisen vakuuttavan lätyn kansakunnan iloksi. Tällä kertaa ollaankin menty melkoisesti progressiivisemman metallin raiteille vaikka toki aiemmallakin levyllä tätä linjausta oli huomattavissa.
Melodisesti erittäin täyteläinen kiekko tarjoaa varmasti genren ystäville purtavaa ja levy luultavasti pyörähtää monissa soittimissa kulumiseen asti. Itse pidin enemmän Spirits and august lightin sanoisinko hiukan agressiivisemmasta tulkinnasta.. Tällainen vihainen paskiainen kun olen. Soundimaailmansa puolesta OG on ollut jo pidemmän aikaa malliesimerkki. Tästä tuskin lienee kenelläkään eriäviä mielipiteitä.
Perkeles, mielestäni OG voisi todellakin survoa tuotoksiinsa enemmän vihaista otetta vaikkakin vokalisointia ei todellakaan voi sanoa sunnuntaikuoroksi. Voisin taaskin hehkuttaa vokalipolitiikkaa tylsistymiseen asti, mutta sitä en tee. Totean vaan että lisää TUSKAA, KIPUA JA VIHREITÄ ELEFANTTEJA! Näin, OG tekee musiikkia omalla tyylillään ja tämä on kumarruksen arvoinen asia. Eipä levystä haukkumista löydy, hieno kokonaisuus.
Heikki Sopanen