This is the second album from US death metallers Ominous Ruin.
Following on from 2021’s enjoyable Amidst Voices That Echo in Stone, Ominous Ruin have returned, now with a new vocalist. Requiem brings us 40 minutes of technical/brutal death metal, and it’s pretty damn good.
There are seven songs of intricate brutality on Requiem, plus two filler tracks. Of the latter, the first is an intro that’s pleasant enough, but completely superfluous, (despite continuing where the last album left off). The second – Bane of Syzygial Triality – is again, pleasant enough, but a bit pointless. It mostly just robs the band of momentum. Ah well. Of the seven actual songs, this is where the real value is and where Ominous Ruin shine.
Requiem is enjoyable to listen to. The music is technical, but in service of the songs, rather than being just for the sake of it. It’s precise and surgically delivered, but imbued with energy and life. The melodies are bright and sharp, but without becoming too shiny and upbeat. There is dark aggression here; Ominous Ruin don’t neglect the brutality, like many tech death bands do, allowing them to offer a good balance of influences across the songs.
The new vocalist, (who guested on the last record), delivers a strong performance throughout the album. Her voice is forceful and direct, delivering growls and screams that are not only harsh, but that also have depth, variety, and character to them.
Ominous Ruin have put out another solid and satisfying record in Requiem, and the band remain an above average modern technical death metal band.
Highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 