Of Virtue – Omen
Release Date: 29th September 2023
Label: Arising Empire
Order/Stream
Genre: Melodic Metalcore, Metalcore.
FFO: Bad Omens, Beartooth, I Prevail.
Review By: Ross Bowie
Melodic metalcore band Of Virtue are fresh off their tour as support to Being As An Ocean with their fourth album Omen. The band released the EP Sinner last year and has been dropping a plethora of singles from this album in its build-up.
Omen sees the band ramp up their melodic sensibilities and really push them forward into their music. A lot of metalcore bands struggle with this balance, but for the most part, Of Virtue can sit nicely between fuzzed-up djenty riffs and bordering on pop vocal hooks. Opening track Omen entices you into its claws with some spooky sounding pads before distorted and modulated vocals take over, giving way to one of the best riffs on the entire album. While the verses and breakdown do well to play off each other, the chorus feels slightly lacklustre. However, this is addressed immediately as Hypocrite drums up anticipation with its ballsy electronic opener and smacks a standout chorus right across your face. This is another great example of the band being assured in their blending of influences.
The balance of metalcore intensity and pop sensibilities are juggled well by the band across the opening four track run. Especially during the album’s crowning moment, Cut Me Open, which doesn’t rely on the trope of clean chorus and harsh verses. The band use their more intense vocal approach to bed the chorus into your head, while blending chunky guitar hooks with electronics through all the verses. Just when you think you have the track figured out and brace for the inventible breakdown, the band double down on the pace before finally giving you that satisfying detuned breakdown.
On most metalcore albums you know there’s going to be the mellow trap infused song with lyrics that make you tug on your shirt as you sing along and Omen is no different. Sober is Of Virtues attempt at this trend and while not a bad go, It does halt the pace that the album had worked so hard on to build up. It feels more like checking off an item on the metalcore checklist than a song the band really needed to make. Thankfully it’s the band’s shortest track, and you can move quickly on to A.N.X.I.E.T.Y which brings the riffs back to the forefront of the band’s sound while also checking off the spelling out of a word for a chorus cliché. While Sober felt like a miss step for the album, the band do much better at their second attempt with Sinner, which has a more laid-back approach but still keeps this album ticking along.
Of Virtue might not be changing the game for their metalcore peers, but they have delivered a good collection of metalcore songs across Omens run time. The band’s live show garnered a lot of attention after this year’s UK Tech-Fest set, and I can only imagine with these songs sprinkled in, the live show will jump up another level. The album clocks in at 40 minutes too, which goes in favour for the band as you get to quickly experience all their ideas quickly and gives the listener plenty of time to go back for more. 
(3.5 / 5)
