New World Shadows 2011

"This album is another example of why the melodeath genre should have its name changed to something without "Death" in it, because there is not a lot of death metal here - apart from the growled vocals, but at least the vocals are real growls and not your average semi-screamed vocals.

Okay, so it's not really death metal, but that does not mean that the music sucks. Actually, Omnium Gatherum are pretty awesome on this album. In terms of musicianship, they're top notch (just check of the guitar solos which are up there with Vai, Satriani, and Petrucci's work, I think) and the compositions are complex and multi-layered (without being progressive though). And then it's extremely melodic and melancholic, creating an atmosphere which I associate more with acts like Depeche Mode, Mew and Die Laughing than with melodeath.

I think that all tracks are good - perhaps with the exception of "An Infinite Mind" which strikes me as being a bit boring, and stand-out tracks are "Everfields" which is a very melodic and almost epic Opeth-inspired affair, "New World Shadows" which feature Dan Swanö on clean vocals, the groovy and awesome "The Nova Mind" and the instrumental "Watcher of the Skies" (not related to the Genesis song... I think).

If you're into melodic and melancholic music with growled vocals and some groove and awesome guitar solos, then "New World Shadows" should be just up your alley, but I think that a lot of old school death metal fans will not like this album because it is polished and melodic.

(review originally posted on metalmusicarchives.com and in Danish on heavymetal.dk)"