There was a time when a new Soulfly album, far from being a celebratory experience, was an occasion to mourn the seeming demise of Max Cavalera’s talent. However, the recruitment of Marc Rizzo, a succession of increasingly awe-inspiring albums from Prophecy’s faltering thrash steps, through Dark ages and last album Conquer’s unquenchable brutality led to a rapid reassessment of what Max was capable of and here he consolidates his position in style.
Immediately apparent on Omen is that the record is a more concise outing than Max has ever attempted. With only 11 tracks making up the album proper (there are three worthy bonus tracks for those of you opting for the features-heavy special edition) the whole thing clocks in at around 45 minutes. While both Conquer and Dark ages were formidable albums they both suffered (much as Roots did) from a glut of ideas and an inability to edit the final mix leading to lengthy albums with at least a couple of tracks that would have the listener reaching for the skip button. This is not the case here as Max has crafted an album that flows seamlessly from start to finish with no track outstaying its welcome and absolutely no filler in evidence.
Opening with the aptly titled ‘Bloodbath’ Max and his cohorts begin as they mean to go on, a seething, punk-infused thrash gem that bubbles and steams like water spilt on a hot plate. Second track, ‘rise of the fallen’ features a guest appearance form DEP vocalist Greg Puciato who puts in a hate-soaked performance that gels perfectly with the contents of the album happily erasing once and for all those gloriously incongruous guest appearances that blighted the first three Soulfly albums. ‘Great Depression’ is another belting track that recalls Chaos AD era Sepultura while Lethal Injection has a dynamic that recalls Meshuggah’s brutal thrust and grind while Tommy Victor (of Prong) adds a dose of menace on the vocal front. ‘Kingdom’ also has a fantastic groove to it and it is also clear that Max’s lyrics have improved beyond measure over the years from the early, youthful f*** you-strewn approach to a darker, more cerebral approach. It’s always been the case that Max has had something to say, but he does so now with a clarity and insight that often eluded him in the past.
‘Jeffrey Dahmer’ is an interesting track as it is the closest that Max has ever come to sounding like Slayer, with a similar subject matter and unrelenting riff. It’s a good track but, perhaps, the least satisfying as Max has always been original enough to sound like Max and while Slayer comparisons are no bad thing per se, his original approach is always preferable. ‘Off with their heads is another early-days Seps stlye song with a nice solo from Marc permeating the simplistic central riff. ‘Vulture culture’ is a minimalistic attack on the senses, while ‘Mega doom’ fades in with harmonised guitars before lurching into one of the heaviest and best tracks on the album thanks to some sterling lead work and interesting time changes. ‘Counter sabotage’ is the last of the heavy tracks and it is almost doom-metal with its slowed-down central riff and ethereal lead guitar on the verse before it ups tempo unexpectedly to end the album in savage style before the graceful Soulfly VII sees the curtain drop on the album proper.
Extra Features
The special edition of the album features three bonus tracks; a cover of Led zeppelin’s ‘Four sticks’, a version of ‘Refuse resist’ with Zyon Cavalera doing a fantastic job on drums and ‘your life, my life’ featuring Igor Cavalera on drums. Meanwhile, much as Conquer featured a show from Poland, Omen features an entire concert from the Conquer tour captured at With Full Force festival in 2009. Once again the picture and sound quality is exceptional, at least equal to a full-price DVD, and the set-list contains enough new material to make it a worthwhile bonus for any fan. Chuck in the excellent video for ‘Unleash’ and you have a great value package that offers plenty for fans of the band.
Overall, whichever version of the album you buy, Max has continued the streak of excellence that has marked much of his recent output and created a concise thrash album that is relevant, timely and hugely enjoyable. Highly recommended.
