Omnos- Acts of Contrition

With a name that means ‘Dream Lord’ it is little surprise that “Acts of Contrition’ is an ethereal, melancholy affair. This solo effort from Hawaii draws on an involvement in music of nearly 25 years, which shows, as the emotions inherent in the songs sound neither forced or contrived.

Religious beliefs obviously influence the mood and theme of the music, although this is no collection of carols. Imagine folk-tinged, acoustic goth if you can.

Parallels are perhaps difficult to draw, although “Luminescence” hints at the dark beauty of Alice in Chains when unplugged, albeit minus the silken tones of Layne Stayley.

It has to be said that the overall effect of the songs is reduced somewhat by the rather over-enthusiastic use of effects processing on both the guitar and vocals. Heartfelt and considered lyrics shouldn’t be spoilt by vocals being drowned in reverb. The vocals are delivered with enough skill and strength to stand on their own. Similarly the guitars on Psalm 13 are so layered with flanger / chorus they just sound awkward.

It is a shame to see musical talent of any form strangled by poor recording or production. Omnos should think about investing in a decent set of production values in order to maximise the impact his work may have. Although not necessarily his weapon of choice, perhaps the expansion of the sound to include additional instrumentation may also help with long-term listenability

Visit Omnos- www.myspace.com/omnos