Omnizide
Death Metal Holocaust

April 2014
Released: 2014, Carnal Records
Rating: 3.0/5
Reviewer: Metal-Rules.com UK Team

OMNIZIDE's origins can be traced all the way back to 1995, when the band was originally formed under the name BERZEN by two future black metallers: Mikael Nox of CRAFT and AE of Avsky. The band split up, and then sometime in 2010, Nox and AE decided to revive the band, eventually renaming it OMNIZIDE. A single, Pleasure From Death, was released in 2011, leading to the Swedish band's debut album Death Metal Holocaust. Now, upon first listening to the record, one might notice that the band does not stick strictly to a Death Metal formule, but instead they incorporate some Black and Thrash Metal influences in their sound.

Death Metal Holocaust's production is very Swedish Death Metal sounding, reminiscient of DISMEMBER, ENTOMBED and GRAVE's sound; however, the raspy vocals and some of the guitar riffs sound more like A Blaze in the Northern Sky-era DARKTHRONE. Songs like "Rotting Flesh Parade", "Monolith" and "Nuclear Strike" are good examples of the band straddling the line between Black, Death and Thrash Metal. "Nuclear Strike" actaully sounds like a cross between SLAYER and DARKTHRONE thanks to the haunting melodies provided by the guitars. Other times, the band launches into a full-on Swedish Death Metal attack with songs like "No Remorse", "Crystals of Death" and "Dead Planet", dishing out fast tremolo riffs that make room for melodies the kind one would find in a DISMEMBER record. On the other hand, "The Eternally Damned" is a slow track in which the band start building up a storm that settles into a kind of Stoner Metal mixed with Death Metal sound. Much of this variation within the songs makes for an entertaining listening experience.

While OMNIZIDE's Death Metal Holocaust may have areas which may cause some Deja Vu, the record as a whole is a good record with many strengths. Songs contain a number of solid guitar riffs and great vocals. The band take no prisoners with this album, as they mix their influences in a way that shows a potential for them to reach a sound in the future that they could completely call their own.



Titus Isaac