OMNIUM GATHERUM - The Burning Cold

September 4, 2018, 5 years ago

(Century Media)

Ryan Owenson

Rating: 8.0

review black death omnium gatherum

OMNIUM GATHERUM - The Burning Cold

Been listening to lots of melodic death metal this last little while and, though it’s all tinged with Gothenburg nostalgia, it’s got to be said that so many of the albums of that era have aged very, very well. Though the revisit has had the usual In Flames (pre-Reroute To Remain)/At The Gates/Dark Tranquillity component, the real revelation has been the Finns. Let’s just say that metal’s collective consciousness has sort of forgotten just how strong Kalmah, Insomnium, Mors Principium Est, and Omnium Gatherum are. There was indeed a reason these bands were championed early in their careers by the global metal press. 

So, while we can go on about each of those groups extensively, today we’re here to talk about Omnium Gatherum’s latest, The Burning Cold. First, that’s a perfect title, especially given Finland’s dark, frigid winters and the metal they provoke. And, unsurprisingly, The Burning Cold is well-suited to its namesake, Omnium Gatherum once again writing top-level melodic death that manages to be meticulous, sophisticated and grand. 

The main problem, as always with this band, is the keyboards, especially when they take over what is a strong guitar-led passage. But the overbearing keyboard issue has long been par for the course with Omnium Gatherum, so there’s no sense in letting this element needlessly take away from what is indeed a strong listen. Especially given the quality of “Gods Go First” and “Refining Fire”, both amongst the best songs of this band’s catalogue and worthy examples of what melodic death at top moments is capable of. Elsewhere, “Be The Sky” is in line with The Burning Cold’s other highlights, especially during the melodic leads that channel classic melodeath. 

Though The Burning Cold does have moments that are less inspiring than its highlights, Omnium Gatherum has indeed once again written a glossy, memorable album that is very much in line with the band’s current musical legacy.



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