ALBUM REVIEW: End Times – Ommadon
OMMADON are back, with their sixth full length album (and tenth release), End Times. Their devotion to their art is incredible, bringing an album with just two songs in it, lasting a whopping 20 minutes each! Both tracks are ominous and oppressive, relentlessly droning on with a sense of impending doom. For those new to this band it can be quite a trudge to get invested in, with extremely long tracks making a barrier for new blood. Despite this, OMMADON have a large following of fans in love their music, making this album even possible.
Side A begins with the classic heavily distorted guitar and bass, foreboding and imposing, with each slow and titanic drone you become encapsulated by it, almost as if you are now synchronised with the grumbling. The meatiness kicks in around the 2:30 mark, beefy chugs steal the foreground, while a recursive and shrill guitar solo makes an appearance, adding an enjoyable melodic counterpart to the deepness of the other instrumentation. Seven minutes in, a sudden shift to a cleaner drone if you can call it that, with a crunchier guitar and the introduction of the drums, crashing alongside the grittiness mentioned before. The minor changes to tone within the droning, weaves, twists, and squirms within the listeners ears, just enough so that the monotony isn’t passed off as boredom. This is how much of the song progresses, very similar, but different enough to get lost in and enjoy, rather than a dull repetition. Vocals enter the fray two minutes from the end, raw and gruff, like a great creature bellowing out a war chant. The instruments however get shunted to the back while the voice takes centre stage for the remainder.
Crawling in next is Side B, weighty drudges, accompany what sounds like a siren in the distant background, as if beckoning for a mighty death march. Crushing guitar-work and unsettling bass-lines pummel the senses into submission, at a similar pace to the latter half of Side A. Another bout of solo work brings up the rear, striking a dissonance with the groaning and numbing chords presented by the duo, Ewan Mackenzie and David Tobin. All at once the thunderous drums chime in, like boulders assaulting the senses, one deafening thud at a time, a raucous cacophony of biting guitars supporting them. All of this plays out until around the 13:30 mark, with some variations to ensure the track doesn’t become stale. A timing change-up mixes the song around momentarily with this unusually hardcore-esque pattern, as vocals worm their way into the mix. The two distinct vocal tones add an enjoyable amount of variation to the track, with deathly low growl and higher pitched, wailing screams entwined together, if only briefly. The last five or so minutes are a similar speed and sound as the start, however, the track starts to every so gently fade into nothingness, removing intensity and instruments periodically, leaving only growls and a low buzz before ending.
To conclude, OMMADON‘s new album, End Times, is a cracking piece of work and an impressively put together piece by two people to say the least, while being almost entirely instrumental. For those who are fans of their previous work, you can expect the same high quality and styling of their back-catalogue. Those who are perhaps new to doom, or this band may struggle with the oppressive nature and track length, but don’t let that put you off, OMMADON are truly a gem worth checking out at the very least.
Rating: 8/10
End Times is out now via Dry Cough Records.
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