Omega Infinity – The Anticurrent Review

The infinite expanse. Oceans above. Stars whose light is a glimpse into the ancient past. Physics. Astrophysics. Space: the Final Frontier. Space odysseys are great unless you’re beaten to death with a bone by your ape bud or gaslit by your own computer – super awkward. Plenty of black metal has ventured beyond the firmament for some ethereal goodness, but do any of them chronicle creation? See, frosty Norwegian forests are cool and all, but Midnight Odyssey wonders about ice in fuckin’ space. Darkspace and Voidsphere are over there pondering the void. Mare Cognitum is like, “let’s go explore the cosmos, cosbros.” Can you hang with the Omega Infinity creation story?

Omega Infinity is a German/Australian duo, including instrumentalist Tentakel Parkinson from Todtgelichter and vocalist Xenoyr of Ne Obliviscaris fame. 2020 debut Solar Spectre was a blasting fusion of black/death intensity and industrial ambiance; it felt like a journey of cosmic proportions, each track an exploration of the planets of our solar system. Follow-up The Anticurrent details evolution from creation to apocalypse. Beginning with “The Alpha” and concluding with “Voices from the End of Time,” you will find ambiance aplenty with black metal’s shadow cast across the universe. Ultimately, while interestingly composed and undeniably cosmic, The Anticurrent finds Omega Infinity’s reach exceeding its grasp with its lukewarm metallic approach and atmospheric elements too overwhelming to make an impact.

Omega Infinity’s approach to black/death metal falls second to its intriguing blend of ambiance. The Anticurrent is steeped heavily in the horror symphonies of Sear Bliss and Cradle of Filth.¹ While its predecessor dwelled in the empty expanse through icy soundscapes and cold industrial noise, this symphonic inclusion lights The Anticurrent aflame with warmth and vitality, packed to the brim with ambient textures – nearly to an overwhelming degree. As such, tracks like “Creation” and “To the Stars” feature lush, icy, shimmering, and orchestral elements, often all at once, that balance neatly with the blackened attack – adding a direction and mood to the otherwise stereotypical reverb-laden tremolo/blastbeats combination. Seven Spires’ vocalist Adrienne Cowan makes a notable appearance in “Iron Age,” her cleans adding an alien vibe to the doom tempo and taking on a siren’s clarity as the track dwindles.

The Anticurrent’s mixing and production are notably thinner than its predecessor, putting more emphasis on the atmosphere. While ideally okay, it robs Omega Infinity of its teeth almost entirely, especially compared to Solar Spectre. Tracks like “The Alpha” and “Voices from the End of Time” are the most obvious casualties, as their ill-fated attempts at rhythmic complexity are lost beneath the ambiance. As such, the blastbeats do not carry with them riffy heaviness but rather percussive annoyance, as they often derail the layered soundscapes in an overwhelming assault on the ears. Furthermore, even the ambiance never quite succeeds in ambitious passages. Jazzy piano clashes with industrial noise in “The Alpha,” the warm pads and cold washes clash in “Iron Age,” the major key bass noodles of “Banish Us From Eden” are awkward, the icy plucks in “To the Stars” and “Death Rays” sound way too much like banjo when saturated with other effects, and the piano-led conclusion of “Voices from the End of Time” only shines when the metallic fades out. In general, the symphonic flares feel very jarring compared to the icy emptiness of its predecessor, which makes the Sear Bliss, Cradle of Filth, and Seven Spires worship all the more confusing. The two bonus cover tracks, Sear Bliss’ “Night Journey” and Emperor’s “Ye Entrancemperium”² are just kinda fine but head-scratching inclusions, due to suddenly more accessible chord progressions and jarring synth usage.

I was excited for The Anticurrent and intrigued by its premise, but Omega Infinity’s decisions and overly ambitious experimentation leads to disappointment. Gone are the droning riffs that add existential weight to the icy emptiness, replaced by unashamed worship of symphonic black metal – seemingly out of nowhere. Caught between the rock of their newfound interests and the hard place of their cosmic past, Omega Infinity’s sophomore effort feels overthought, overwhelming, and under-baked. I love space as much as the next guy, but thanks to its “too much but also not enough” aesthetic, this ex nihilo creation story adds up to almost nihilo with The Anticurrent.

Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Season of Mist Records
Websites: omegainfinity.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/thedeepdarkvoid
Releases Worldwide: February 24th, 2023