SLAVE ONE: “OMEGA DISCIPLES”

 

(This is Vonlughlio’s review of the new album by the French progressive technical death metal band Slave One, which will be released by Dolorem Records on January 24th.)

It’s been a while since I have done a small review, and this time around I’m taking the time to write about the band Slave One and their sophomore effort Omega Disciples, to be released via Dolorem Records. To be honest, I was not aware of this French band’s existence until I heard a single from this album, and was hooked. So, I decided to check out their previous work.

There, this Death Metal outfit incorporate various elements within their song structures, displaying both brutal and tech elements as well as melodic inputs in some of the sections that create a dark atmosphere that is quite appealing. But when I heard the the promo of the new record I was blown away with the musicianship on display within the 8 chapters of this current offering.  The continuous growth from their first EP to now is evident, and that is something I always look for in a band.

 

 

For this album they have a new vocalist who fits rather well with the music (though I liked the previous vocalist’s work); the patterns are good and on-point and create added depth to the music. The only thing is that I would have liked a little more variance in some parts of the songs.

One of my favorite things about this record is the guitar work. It’s just fantastic work from start to finish. The riffs keep one engaged through each moment.

Another aspect that is worth mentioning is the production, which lets each of the instruments shine on its own without overshadowing each other. The guitars, the bass, and the drums are clear, and you can hear them all play key roles in the final product. As I mentioned earlier, the band have showed growth, and the precision in the performance show that they are comfortable playing together as one. They also something else that I like, and that is a well-balanced level of melodic, dark, death, and BDM elements all working together to create an engaging 30-plus-minutes story.

The cover art is simple, and yet it goes with the music and the lyrics, something that some bands fail to connect and could be misleading. You could have a cover that might give you an idea what to expect but once you press play it is something different. But this is not the case here; I appreciate the band connecting these aspects. and for me it is quite important.

Overall, this is quite a great album, by a band who have a lot to offer. I hope they continue their musical endeavors and that more people will discover them, and hopefully give them the recognition they deserve for their hard work.

PRE-ORDER:
https://doloremrecords.bandcamp.com/album/omega-disciples-album

SLAVE ONE:
https://www.facebook.com/SlaveOneMetal