But this is not all, guitarist T. shows his mastery in writing catchy compositions. Although there is a scarcity of atmospheric death metal that combines melodies and dark synthesizers, The Omega Swarm has managed to convey something outstanding on its debut full-length album with plenty of hefty riffs, sci-fi synth and orchestration that resonate on ‘Crimson Demise’. The sonic theme of the opening track ‘Black Veiled Source’ begins with a dark synth passage with the lead guitar following the same vibe and rhythm, paired with death metal growls and high pitch screams.

The pace of drums is sometimes fast and mid-tempo and the whole focus is laid on the excellent guitar work of T. Suffice to say that The Omega Swarm’s composition bears resemblance to Sulphur Aeon in some moments, despite that the main theme focuses on the apocalypse. The melodies and the growls are all clearly emphasized in the melancholy side of modern death/black metal.

The black metal elements are pushed forward in the next song ‘Deceivers’ which presents a perfect mixture of modern and melancholic death metal that recalls bands like Hypocrisy. The Omega Swarm parades into the grim and dark realms with atmosphere and a mixture of elements. The guitar hooks are on full display including blast beats and slower passages where the synth and the high pitch growls create a dense majestic aura.

Throughout the forty-one minutes, the seven tracks ensure plenty of catchy rhythm hooks and melodic riffs with guitarist and mastermind T. at the helm and injecting vicious riffs along with the blasting drums on ‘Vortex of the Benighted’. The heaviness of the catchy riffs and the dark atmosphere works best for the band. There is no doubt that Sulphur Aeon has taken death metal to the obscure and horror realms of Chthulu. With that being said T. expands his creativity on this debut full length.

The dense orchestration and powerful riffing fit perfectly in the context of songs like ‘Lethal Increase’. This precision showcases an inspiring composition ranging from aggressive and apocalyptic-themed death metal. The drums are fiercely played on this track and bring many tempo changes. The guitars can infuse plenty of tremolo-picked riffs packed full of aggression, outbursts of blast beats and the vicious screams of vocalist Christian Schettler. The guitar melodies and riff galore are powerful and omnipresent.

The prevailing quality of the album is how mastermind T. seeks mastery of using chugging and black metal elements to create a catchy assortment of orchestral textures and fast tempos on ‘Entity Destroyer’. The Omega Swarm takes a lot from 90s melodic death and black metal. It is clear that the band wears these Swedish influences on their sleeves. The cosmic symphonies draw a perfect vision for the songwriting and composition. Therefore, one of the remarks of ‘Crimson Demise’ is its rich sonic aptitude and performance which goes beyond my expectation.

On other songs like “Cold Cosmic Mirror” the band manages to define its sound by utilizing a dose of lead guitar melodies alternating between straight-forward death metal. The mid-tempo sections swell to a crescendo of orchestration and heavy riffing. The solos in the background are just epic.

The final track ‘Vacuum Within’ has a similar build-up for the orchestration: the synth moves the atmosphere; richly textured and subtle changes smoothly flow through the furious drumming with the tempo shifting to fast black metal riffing and blast beats. The clean vocals are used in the track to bring more to the forming atmosphere. ‘Crimson Demise’ was recorded at Feire Records and s/w records studios, mixed and produced by long-term partner Simon Werner and mastered by V. Santura (Triptykon, Dark Fortress).

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