Omens of Doom is the new release from Norwegian act Sulphur, a band comprised of current and former members of Gorgoroth, Aeternus, Enslaved, and Vulture Industries. Though it's been 7 years since Thorns in Existence, the guys have picked up right where they left off, once again delivering a strong mix of black metal, death metal, and psychedelic progressive rock. Featuring Thomas Skinlo Høyven (vocals), Øyvind Madsen (guitars, keyboards), Vegard Hovland (bass), Erik Heggernes (drums), and Martin Lynn (guitars), Sulphur are quite good at keeping the listener on their toes throughout Omens of Doom, never sticking too long in one style and mixing things up from track to track. "The Devil's Pyre" is not unlike some of the solo works of Isahn, blending classic black metal with epic prog & psychedelia, while "Gathering Storms" inject a little doom, a little death metal, and some proggy Mellotron for creepy ambience. The title cut sees the band clearly going for the technical death metal crowd, and it's a lively number filled with complex guitar arrangements and intricate rhythms, but it's the textured, progressive minded tunes like "Rise Of The Mushroom Clouds" and "Plague And Pestilence" that intrigue the most, both tracks instantly bringing to mind the recent recordings of the great Enslaved. The closest Sulphur gets to raging all-out black metal here is on the chaotic yet majestic closer "Alt Svartner", as relentless blast beats hammer underneath layers of guitar riffs and vicious vocal rasps.
Very solid from top to bottom, Omens of Doom was well worth the long wait, and a must hear for any fan of boundary pushing black metal.
Track Listing
1. The Force Of Our Fall
2. Gathering Storms
3. The Devil's Pyre
4. Plague And Pestilence
5. Omens Of Doom
6. Rise Of The Mushroom Clouds
7. Alt Svartner
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