ALBUM REVIEW: Omega – Black Capricorn
BLACK CAPRICORN, the psychedelic doom group from Sardinia, have released their fourth full length album, entitled Omega. The trio, all related either by marriage or blood, have been performing together since 2012, and as such have managed to improve on their sound with every release, and begun to climb the ladders of popularity within doom. We listened to Omega to see how the band have progressed since their previous release, the Ira Dei EP, and to see what else the band have to offer.
Alpha, a simple instrumental piece, opens the album, almost lulling you into a sense that the record will begin somewhat calmly. Breaking into a song called Evil Horde of Lucifer immediately after, however, shakes that thought immediately. A heavy, slow riff from Fabrizio over rather ominous chanting finally sets the tone for the record; sinister and beautiful. Flower of Revelation is an absolute standout track on Omega, as it encapsulates everything about how doom is developing in recent years. The mix of clean vocals from Fabrizio, super heavy riffs transitioning into somewhat softer, more melodic sections yet still keeping an background malevolent tone is quite gripping to listen to.
What really makes Omega shine is the addition of guest musicians on some of the tracks which add an extra layer of depth to them, and ultimately, the record in general. Illaria Falchi’s soprano contributions on The Man Who Dared entice you further into BLACK CAPRICORN‘s effort, and Claudio Kaib and Massimiliano Viana’s contributions on cello and violin respectively on Black Capricorn Seal make the track that bit more immersive. Some of the record lets itself down, however. Antartide, the longest track on the record at 17 minutes, chimes in with a nearly six-minute long intro that doesn’t really add a whole lot to the track. The rest of the track is nice, however doesn’t really add much more to the record and feels a little short of the mark compared to the glorious Flower of Revelation that comes before it. Perhaps two separate, different tracks instead of one (arguably too) long one would have had a stronger impact. Interestingly, Stars of Orion also has an incredibly long intro, yet this works excellently as it builds up in power progressively. While being an instrumental piece, it’s a nice break in the album before (arguably) the best track, Quest of Agartha. This 14-minute long track is one of BLACK CAPRICORN‘s best songs to date, and shows how tight the band have become since their beginning.
Overall, Omega is a fantastic continuation of what this psychedelic doom outfit have to offer. The closeness of the trio is reflected in the record as BLACK CAPRICORN sound more tight and well-refined than ever before. This 11-track journey is absolutely a welcome addition to any doom connoisseur’s collection, with that little psychedelic twist that turns full-on riffs into an atmospheric and entrancing journey that simply doesn’t warrant just one listen. There may be some gripes with the length or impact of some tracks, but overall, it’s a good quality record. This is for putting on repeat, and taking yourself off into a different and rather dark world.
Rating: 8/10
Omega is out now via Stone Stallion Rex Records.
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