The uplifting Finnish melodeath band Omnium Gatherum is back with their 10th studio album, May the Bridges We Burn Light the Way. Their brighter melodies and blending of death metal with 80s rock elements earn them the endearing alternate subgenre label “adult-oriented death metal.” This album carries that unofficial subgenre label with vibrant vigor; big, bold melodies, bombastic percussion, and riffs that can make you want to bang your head or even dance along. Read on for some song highlights.
I found the three singles among the strongest tracks on the album. The first single, “The Last Hero,” encapsulates everything the band is about: whirling guitars, dreamy synths, and powerful vocals. It’s a song of an aspiring hero whose ambition betrays him. It’s a gritty and kickass first taste of the full album.
The next one, “My Pain,” is massive! Neoclassical whirling riffs pull you right in, then the softer, solemn melodic quality takes you by the hand into the world of a person who lashes out in an attempt to heal himself. It is a powerful emotive track with lush, layered vocals at the chorus and a great guitar solo to match.
The most recent single, “Walking Ghost Phase,” is another essential melodic death track, featuring a fun guitar melody and interesting layered/group-shouting vocals at the chorus. In contrast, it does have a subtle haunting atmosphere, emphasized by some low synths and wispy rhythm guitar. The attention to detail in this song is excellent!
I found the song “Barricades” had a similar vibe, sound-wise, with a glorious synth/guitar-paired hook that drives emotion to new heights. This song is when the barricades come down and unbridled liberation follows.
I also want to highlight one of my personal favorites, the longest song on the album, “The Darkest City.” It’s gloomy and atmospheric, painting the dystopian city setting this album takes place in. You can imagine riding a motorcycle through grimy streets, seeing boarded-up windows on tagged buildings, and the citizens, battered but not yet broken, gathered along the way.
The closing track, “Road Closed Ahead,” is a full instrumental track that draws you out of the city. The way the isolated synths in the intro draw you out, then add to the rhythmic style of the song itself, is interesting. It creates a feeling of leaving a place you’ve grown attached to, but knowing a part of yourself will stay there forever. A melancholy is woven in the slowed-down portions of this track. These 4 minutes feel like a winding journey to a perfect end.
Overall, this album illuminates thirty years of mastery from Omnium Gatherum, and they’re strong as ever with this one. May the Bridges We Burn Light the Way is a roaring bonfire of passionate rebellion. Songs of power and envy, creation and destruction. The dynamic contrast of sorrow and empowerment, gritty vibes with clean production. Opposites always attract in wondrous ways when it comes to Omnium Gatherum. This piece of battered wonders is just about out now!
Omnium Gatherum’s new album, May the Bridges We Burn Light the Way, is set to arrive on November 7, 2025 via Century Media Records. Order the record at this location.
