The Omega Man

I discovered the Polish band Divine Weep a few years ago via the CD Baby clear-out sale, where their previous album “Tears of the Ages” was available for 5 USD. Released by the prestigious Stormspell label this album was a great surprise back then and got quite a bit of playing time from me. Having nearly forgotten about the band two of my favorite YT channels recently both uploaded the brand new full length titled “The Omega Man”, so it was a must to go and check this one out in its entirety. In the end the lads pretty much continued where they stopped five years ago, and in my books this is a positive.

Most riffs have that classic and well-known NWOBHM feel, lending the music a very uplifting character. The main chords will sound familiar to any fan of traditional metal, but they are presented with enough passion and energy so that missing innovation should not be a problem for potential listeners. Fans of that particular genre are anyway not so much interested in too many experiments, but in straight and honest music, staying true to the original formula. Compared to some of their peers the riffs sometimes offer a more aggressive and crunchy vibe, reminding also of some power or even thrash metal bands. That being said epic and melodic melodies are always present, either dominating as leading element to drive the music forward or in the background companying the uplifting main chops.

The songwriting is top notch and the guys exactly knew where they wanted to go. The song structures are well defined, following the traditional verse-chorus formula for the most part, and the overall placement of the single tracks in the context of the album led to it being easily enjoyable in one sitting. That being said Divine Weep have implemented a few details making their work stand out from the pack. Shorter and longer soloing parts working as bridge elements or trademark chords being used slightly varied in other sections give the whole record a very stringent character. Fused with a few catchy power metal harmonies and some sections akin to classic hard rock the whole package is neat and tidy.

The drumming is straight-forward and while there are a lot of faster sections and a lot of details like fills or a few rhythm changes to highlight certain parts it never feels nervous or chaotic. The band has put a lot of emphasis on presenting stringent songs and a nicely flowing album. While the instrumentation is top notch personal egos have to take a back-seat with the songs as such being put front and center.

One of the main weapons of Divine Weep for sure is singer Mateusz (or Matt), who is not only active in this outfit, but also the great heavy/thrash metal combo Hellhaim and the prog band Subterfuge. This guy really got some pipes and knows how to utilize them. Mainly staying in mid-range he also nails higher screams and some calmer parts, but also implemented some more aggressive and growly vocals like e.g. in track number three “Firestone”. Matt surely is a great talent and able to lift the bands in which he sings up a notch or two.

The production is crystal clear and powerful, organic and diversified. The mix is transparent and gives each instrument enough room to be fully audible. This is old school done right, by making perfect use of the technical possibilities of our times. Coming with a nice looking cover artwork “The Omega Man” is one of my personal highlights of 2020 when it comes to traditional/power metal. I have no idea why this album has not been released by Stormspell, but can be directly purchased from the band. So in case you are looking for a fresh and captivating piece of heavy metal you should put this one high on your list.