Omega Infinity - The Anticurrent
Who is Omega Infinity:
Tentakel Parkinson is the drummer of German progressive/black metal band Todtgelichter.
Marc Campbell (Xen) is the vocalist (harsh) and lyricist of Australian progressive death metal band Ne Obliviscaris.
Tentakel and Xen were Code666 Records label mates during the period when Ne Obliviscaris released Portal of I (2012), and Todtgelichter released Angst (2010). They became friends following a mutual appreciation of each other’s bands and creative interests. Approximately ten years later, Omega Infinity is born from the darkness between matter – the void, with Tentakel composing and arranging his own music for the first time in his career. Omega Infinity is a darker, harsher, and more dissonant project, and feels like a more organic creative process than Ne Obliviscaris and Todtgelichter. Tentakel is an experienced musician and has used this knowledge to create two space themed extreme metal albums that are journeys.
The Anticurrent, Season of Mist
The Anticurrent is Omega Infinity’s second release, following Solar Spectre, which was released in 2020, also via Season of Mist. Solar Spectre was an introduction for the listener, with the song titles representing planets. The Anticurrent was composed just three months after Solar Spectre was completed.
The Alpha is the beginning, the chaos of the big bang. It opens with a caustic industrial Godflesh like thud, which expands into tones of cacophonous off kilter chaos. The Alpha travels through black matter with uncomfortable bellowed vocals and deranged drum work. However, while the nature of the songwriting is uncomfortable, harsh, and cold, there is consistency to the overall structure of The Alpha, and that is mainly due to the current of melody. This is a key compositional difference to Solar Spectre. Tentakel has arranged the album with an emphasis on a guiding melody, in his own words, a lighthouse for the listener to attach to. On The Alpha it is a brilliant use of keys/piano – elsewhere it is a different use of synths, otherworldly soundscapes, or clean female vocals.
On the second track, Creation, Xen’s deathly vocals are merciless. They are packed with feeling throughout the album, the emotion never sounds forced or ingenuine. On closing track Voices from the End of Time, the delivery is commanding, delivering a repeated: The stars have foretold the end of time! The infectious Iron Age brings the birth of conflict – of uncivilized war, Xen demanding that thou shalt kill. There are hooks to be found all throughout The Anticurrent. Repeat listens unearths more and more and pushes the listener further into Omega Infinity’s universe. To the Stars continues the journey onward with a fury of blast beats and light flared synths – the wings of a butterfly – sparks planets into the multiverse. Death Rays permeates a Cult of Luna (Vertikal) vibe, an apocalyptic landscape where there is no escape, it is all unstoppable.
The Anticurrent is mixed very well with no element dominating the other. The instruments are evenly distributed in terms of volume, tone, and dynamics, which suits the cold and colorless mood and atmosphere – anything more would have sounded far too polished and clinical. While The Anticurrent was composed almost simultaneously to Solar Spectre, the learnings that were gained from writing and recording Solar Spectre have been absorbed seamlessly. While Solar Spectre and The Anticurrent are different journeys, with slightly different flowing elements, the fabric of what makes Omega Infinity their own creation is unique and it will only become stronger as their catalogue expands. The Anticurrent is a moment in time, an album that demands to be listened to repeatedly – a killer release.