Ominous Ruin – Requiem
Release Date: 9th May 2024
Label: Willowtip Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Technical Death Metal
FFO: Nile, Behemoth, Necrophagist.
Review By: Eric Wilt
Ominous Ruin must have some of the best public relations minds in metal because I feel like I’ve been hearing about their upcoming album for well over a year. In posts from the band and from random metal fans on social media, the build-up to this album has been huge. Now that Requiem is finally here, I can say with confidence: Ominous Ruin does not disappoint.
Requiem is a towering achievement in sonically adventurous, technically complex death metal. It fuses atmosphere, aggression, and occasional dissonance into a swirling vortex of sound that never loses its way. From the moment it starts, it’s clear that Ominous Ruin isn’t just here to show off their chops, they’re building something new and forward-thinking. The shredding is relentless, but not gratuitous. Riffs shift and spiral in unpredictable ways, held together by tight composition. The instruments are played with precision and a clear sense of purpose, and the vocals are varied and brutal.
One of the album’s highlights, Seeds of Entropy, is a good example of how Ominous Ruin is changing the game. About a minute and a half in, the song seems to end, but just as you begin to think about how good the song was, delicate, quietly picked notes begin to stir. It’s a moment of restraint and tension that sets up an even more powerful return. When the full band comes crashing back in, it’s with a renewed force that makes the second half of the track even more enjoyable than the first.
Eternal is another track that stands out for its unique use of the guitar. Toward the end of the song, the guitar is used to create tones that ring out in a way that I haven’t heard before in metal. There’s a distinct sonic fingerprint to this track that sets it apart from many of the other songs in the genre.
Architect of Undoing is another masterstroke. The bass on this track is more than just low-end support. At points, it’s used to create chime-like harmonic effects that cut through the mix with an eerie, crystalline clarity. Speaking of the bass, throughout Requiem it is notably powerful and doesn’t just follow the guitar. A perfect example of this is Staring Through the Abysm where the bass takes over the lead role, and the guitar supports it with riffs in the background.
Ominous Ruin has delivered a record that not only justifies its pre-release buzz but expands the vocabulary of technical death metal. Requiem is intricate, punishing, and unique, and fans of technical death and progressive metal alike should find much to sink their teeth into on this album.
(4.5 / 5)
