EP Review: Omnivide - Arise
Reviewed by Oli Gonzalez
Omnivide. New kids on the block, having formed in 2020 (remember that year, the year of the plague!?). 2024 was a seemingly transformative year for the Canadian progressive metal quintet, with a successful North American tour and the release of their debut album “A Tale Of Fire”, both of which culminated in the band signing to Seek And Strike records. The label will handle the release of the band’s EP “Arise”, and with influences from artists ranging from Opeth to Between The Buried And Me, it'll be interesting to see how these have influenced Omnivide’s sound.
Well, the opening ‘Prelude’ stirs up a lot of emotions indeed. Like the soundtrack from a sci-fi movie, try to imagine a scene in which the protagonists discovering a new planet or mysterious alien life form and this is what you’d hear. This dissonant thought provoking piece does just enough to raise your pulse and create the right amount of tension to raise intrigue and ensure you’re fully locked in, ready for the ride!
Now, into the meat and potatoes of this short 5-track EP. If you’re into progressive death metal with a symphonic twist (think Fleshgod Apocalypse, Septic Flesh), then this is right up your street! There’s a lot to admire here throughout “Arise”. Samuel F and Nicolas provide technical guitar masterclasses, Marc-Andre is a human metronome behind the drum kit, whilst the pulse and low end of the band is handled superbly by Alex, and the aforementioned symphonic flavours are injected by Samuel L with the expert navigation of the keys!
Samuel F (again), take a bow! As the lead vocalist for the band, he puts in an incredible shift behind the mic, delivering a rich baritone clean singing voice whilst effortlessly switching to demonic growls that would make Mike Akerfeldt blush in admiration! I couldn’t quite pick out the narrative being portrayed in the lyrics but I’m invested enough now to want to find out more. Surely they’ve done something right to elicit this sort of reaction?
The introduction of the acoustic guitar passages adds some interesting dynamic shifts. This is symptomatic of a band who are clearly very creative and have a desire to pack as many of their ideas as possible. They run the risk of sounding a little too chaotic at times though, especially in the earlier portions of this EP. Taking a slightly more minimalist approach where they give movements time to mature and breathe may be better for the overall product.
The production values are very respectable for a band so early in their career, far surpassing the standard you’d expect at this level. Everything is so crisp, polished and sharp. I’d hate to think how complex this mix is and how many individual tracks and layers there are to each song! Therein lies a problem though; is it too polished and will they be able to recreate this in the live arena?
This review made an early reference to the cinematic properties in ‘Prelude’. The opening to the EP’s final track ‘Arise’ also begins in an equally dramatic fashion, making you feel like you’re getting ready for battle rather than listening to a progressive metal track! Each musician gets chance to shine here in what is an individual masterclass. Though the whole is greater than the sum of its constituent parts here, and what we see is a wonderful synergy and chemistry combining to create a progressive metal clinic. The longest of the EP at 8 minutes and 42 seconds, this goes faster than 8 minutes and 42 seconds has ever gone. You’d better believe this got a few replays! If you’ve got time for only song, make it this!
So, that was Omnivide! Despite still being early in their development, “Arise” provides assurance that the band are on an exciting upward trajectory whilst offering an exciting twist on the progressive metal genre!
