Lamentation of the Chaos Omega

To round things off I am going to add a short review of „Lamentation of the Chaos Omega” which has been the full length debut by Austrian cosmic black metal outfit The Negative Bias. Compared to their later works the songs here a bit more compact making the album a slightly more straight-forward affair. However, the major trademarks of their spacey and captivating sound has already been present here as well.

The guitar riffs found in this one aren't too complex or fast paced, but they still manage to keep a memorable tone and add to the stellar melodies accompanied by the steady percussions and the snarling vocals. There is some solo guitar action in certain songs, but it's never too overwhelming. However, I will say that the rhythm and the lead guitar complement each other adequately. Sharp basic chords and classic tremolo runs are melted with eerie and hypnotic harmonies to create an outstanding atmosphere. The music creates a bleak mood and offers a certain kind of melancholic beauty.

What surprised me the most while listening to “Lamentation of the Chaos Omega” is the professional level of the songwriting. Each of the songs has a certain structure and The Negative Bias were successful in making the single tracks memorable without sounding fluffy or simplistic. There are quite a few rhythm and tempo changes and more complex elements but overall the songs follow a clear and stringent structure. The soloing parts are well implemented and never overstay their welcome. Relentless riff attacks are interchanging with atmospheric pieces giving the whole thing kind of a hypnotic feeling. Epic guitar melodies are always present in the background lending each song a special character.

The record is rounded off by a nice and organic production job. The guitars sound crunchy and the drums have enough punch and a natural feel. While there is always something going on in the background and atmosphere is king there is a certain level of rawness giving the album enough grittiness to be of interest for any fan of heavy yet harmonic music.