Omit
Repose

Thousands have been the gothic rock or gothic metal groups born from the rise of bands like Paradise Lost, Tiamat, Theatre Of Tragedy, The Gathering, and many others. Few are those who, although emulating the style of the "masters," have managed to bring out something interesting. Omit also falls into that immense cauldron of gothic metal/doom, but compared to other musical projects, they have the audacity to seek some more personal solutions.

Omit was born in cold Norway, specifically in Oslo in 2009. The group consists of four members: drummer Bert Nummelin, guitarist and bassist Tom Simonsen, the other guitarist Kjetil Ottersen, and finally singer Cecilie Langlie. What they propose in their first studio work, entitled "Repose," released on the first of September 2011, is a very refined and theatrical doom metal, deeply tied to the singer's voice. Their doom/gothic is "soft," heavily played on acoustic guitars and atmospheric insertions instead of the power of guitars and growl as the key groups have taught. Their compositions are very long, filled with decadent and dark scenarios, with lyrics naturally focused on romantic/decadent themes.

From a purely formal point of view, "Repose" is a decidedly complex work, not so much for the musical ideas within as for the duration: a few minutes less would have made the songs more "light," which in this way become almost unbearable. Probably everything serves to create that aura of mysticism and affliction that so permeates works of this kind, but at the end of the day, the result is heavy and also a bit gaudy. However, there is notable courage in what Omit has done, especially in the stylistic refinement with which they have composed the five tracks (divided into two CDs). Those that deserve the most attention are in the first "Fatigue" where the romantic vein is further exalted and where flashes of pathos also ignite, and in the second, the final suite "Insolence", a diary of suffering and lost memories.

In the Norwegians' album, there are also folk openings, at times almost ambient, but what makes it "static" and syrupy is lingering too much on Langlie's vocal timbre, which, for heaven's sake, she knows her stuff, but over time it also becomes monotonous. "Repose" does not put anything new under the (gray) sun except some doses of compositional courage. Nevertheless, a band to keep an eye on.

Disc One
1. "Scars" (16:14)
2. "Fatigue" (14:29)
3. "Dissolve" (14:20)

Disc Two
1. "Constriction" (14:50)
2. "Insolence" (25:58)