Silent across the waters they rowed; chains clinching to life signaling, to their foes with only seconds to spare. Then the chaos erupts upon them and screams of agony rip down their lines. There is no chance for them now, no power to stop this warpath.
Omega Crom’s debut album, “Blood, Steel and Fire,” opens with a Bathory inspired intro (think Blood Fire Death), yet the second track, Battlefield, bursts into neck-high solos before heading to the chorus and beyond.
With incredibly timed tempo changes, Omega Crom blends classic metal gallops with tons of crunch on guitar filled with finger rolling bass runs by bassist Ian “Rapid Mutilation” Wilcke, to open up this thrash, power, death, hardcore, metal maelstrom.
Vocalist and rhythm guitarist Johnny Ketlo ranges from King Diamond to Rob Halford, to devilish grutal screams, to a unique voice of his own. While wielding an axe to play rhythm and occasionally lead guitar, Johnny K is the maestro of this Canadian “ripping metal” juggernaut.
Throughout each song in the album, lead guitarist Wayne Holden makes his slime-green black-striped George Lynch styled kamikaze guitar heard with abandon. From blistering runs, to sweeps, pinch harmonics of all styles, finger tapping to shredding legato, he does it all. Listen to his acoustic serenade intro to The Prisoner. Holden rips in many styles with an energetic voice of his own.
The drummer, Dan La Pierre, is a god of thunder on the kit. From earth- shattering breakdowns to lightning fast fills and stinging touch on his high-hat, La Pierre blast beats with syncopation like no other to this tempo-dynamic band. Listen close for the breakdowns in Calling the Dead and Parliament of Stone.
Bassist Ian “Rapid Mutilation” Wilcke likes a few things in life. Bass guitars, amplifiers, heavy metal, beer… did I say beer? Plugging along with only his fingers, Wilcke rips his fingerboard with a rapid “mutilation” of his strings. His opening of The Passing of Azazel hums with furious vibrato. Despite his habit for drinking beer on stage, “Rapid Mutilation” Wilcke nails his strings with incredible precious and technicality. Wilcke plays similar to Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, but with a wicked attitude of his own.
Omega Crom didn’t just hit the ground running with, “Blood, Steel and Fire,” they rocketed to the finish line and erupted upon crossing. I haven’t heard as dynamically and ferociously tempo-altering music as this since Exhorder; yet they play with a similar theatrical appeal as Iron Maiden pulling off Judas Priest inspired harmonies.
The multiple solo sections throughout each song flow fluidly but rip like a winters’ storm. Listen in on Battlefield, The Prisoner (The Drawing), and Playing God for some dextral fortitude fueled by energy not of this earth.
Blood, Steel and Fire has two masterpieces amongst its nine tracks.
The Prisoner (The Drawing) opens with a beautiful acoustic serenade to slow drums and a furious guitar solo with deeply moving bends and squeals wailing and fading into the lyrics. With overlapping vocals, this solemn tale of a prisoner creeps slowly towards escape. With Bewitched bumping rhythm The Prisoner bursts from his captivity before entering the first shearing solo section, after five minutes of head pounding pace the breakdown finally summons the last solo section with a minute to go in the song.
The last track, “Metal-Revolution” is a ten-minute metal meltdown. Opening with soft vocals and charming acoustic guitar, Johnny K takes the song on a vocal journey from himself, to Halford, to gurtal hardcore screams, to King Diamond before ending with his powerful clean to raspy voice. This slow creep feels a fortnight over ten minutes, but rips with the same fury as every other song on “Blood, Steel and Fire,” while displaying an incredible capstone of talent for this band.
For neck-breaking head-bangers, tune into track eight, F.F.O.H.T.L.
For guitar players, a fun riff song to play is Parliament of Stone.
With hair for miles, banshee’s wail to devilish grunt vocals, blistering riffing and rhythm guitar runs, a thundering rhythm section, and a bassist with an on-stage appetite for fresh beer, Omega Crom is a heavy metal apocalypse that blends lightning speed with earth- shaking breakdowns.
For their debut album, “Blood, Steel and Fire,” it’s a metal revolution.
If you like Omega Crom, check out: Three Inches of Blood, Bewitched, Judas Priest, and Bathory.
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