OMEGA MASSIF — Geisterstadt (review)

OMEGA MASSIF — Geisterstadt album cover Album · 2007 · Atmospheric Sludge Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Geisterstadt" is the debut full-length studio album by German doom/post-metal act Omega Massif. The album was released through Radar Swarm in June 2007. Omega Massif was founded in September 2005 and released the "Kalt" demo in December 2005.

The music on the album is a combination of ultra doomy riffs and more atmospheric sludge/post metal sections. "Geisterstadt" is a fully instrumental release, but the gloomy cover artwork and the dark and haunting atmosphere create lots of dark images in the mind. "Geisterstadt" directly translates to "Ghost Town" in English, and there certainly is a ghostly atmosphere about the album. It´s not an eerie type atmosphere, but I always imagine driving into an abandoned town, just walking around, trying to imagine how life was there before the town was abandoned. A lonely and somewhat despairing feeling, that´s somehow still a bit intriguing.

The material are well written and the four-piece act occasionally create a monumental and quite epic sound, but in typical post-metal style, they often start their tracks quietly and mellow, slowly building more and more layers on until a multilayered and epic climax is reached (best examplified in "Nebelwand"). For the most part it´s a very effective songwriting approach, but there are sections which feel a bit repetitive on the 6 track, 44:04 minutes long album.

The sound production is really powerful and suits the music well and all in all "Geisterstadt" is a strong release by Omega Massif. The dark atmosphere and the heavy riffs combined with the well sounding production and the tight playing band, make this a worthwhile listen even though it might not add too much new to the genre. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
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