ALBUM REVIEW: Rebirth In Black – Omophagia
Today’s word of the day is ‘omophagy’. Derived from the Greek for ‘raw’, it describes the practice of eating raw food, typically meat. Or flesh, if we want to be metal about it. It is of high importance to the cult-like following of the Greek god Dionysus, and it is thought that omophagia symbolised the triumph of nature over civilisation. Pretty solid footing then for a Swiss-Brazilian death metal five-piece to find their name.
OMOPHAGIA have been terrorising the extreme metal underground since 2006, and Rebirth In Black is the fourth full-length entry into their pantheon of primal power. The follow up to their Unique Leader Records debut 646965 in 2019, this largely picks up where they left off on a stylistic front across 11 (kind of) tracks of death metal that takes cues from melodeath and tech death to complete the band’s visceral sound.
But before all of that, let’s clear up one thing that seems to rear its head in the metal scene every now and then: the standalone intro track. It’s long been a fixture of ambitious records that firmly set their sights on building atmosphere, and Rebirth In Black is one such instance, opening with a solitary minute of orchestral drama. If this were to be an in-built intro to the start of the opening track, it wouldn’t be such a thorn in the side, but the truth is that it hams up the drama of the occasion, but then completely shifts gear for the first proper track, The Consequences Of Guilt. There is no clear connection between these numbers, and it doesn’t make for an overture for the track or indeed the album.
However, when OMOPHAGIA focus their efforts into their death metal output, Rebirth In Black soars to terrifying highs. The Plague is sheer sonic terror; the guitar work of Henrique swoops from chugging riffs to melodies that verge on dissonance, giving the track an air of psychological horror. Thoughts Of The Earth looms large with its non-stop barrage of stomping instrumentation and a breathless performance from vocalist Benji in which he switches effortlessly from guttural roars to piercing highs at break neck speed.
The rest of the record certainly contains similar highs – the closing track I Live For Your Death is utterly spellbinding in scope and delivery – but at large it falters in its insistence on weaving in grand arrangements. Like with the opening track, they feel shoehorned in rather than a natural progression or set up, resulting in the likes of Time Tells or Insights Of A Dying Man feeling patchwork at best, or randomly cobbled together at worst.
Just like the reanimated, possessed corpses that Rebirth In Black sounds like the aural equivalent of, there are blemishes that scar this record, but the snarling, gnashing ferocity of its high points makes for a solid release. OMOPHAGIA‘s cross-continental campaign for death metal supremacy is in full swing, but it’s moving like the Walking Dead zombies, rather than the 28 Days Later ones.
Rating: 6/10
Rebirth In Black is set for release on September 16th via Unique Leader Records.
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