Omen (United States) - Warning of Danger (Album, 1985)

IT'S OMEN TIME!!!

Who is Omen, you may be asking? Well, they're an amazing band who were formed in 1983 in Los Angeles, California. Their founder, Kenny Powell, was already known for being a fantastic talent within the underground metal scene. He was in Rapid Fire, a traditional heavy metal band who released one single in 1980, "School Days / Show Me Love", featuring future Omen drummer Steve Wittig as well as bassist Roger Sisson, who would join Omen in 2017 and is still with them today. Powell was also in Savage Grace, with whom he contributed guitar parts to their wonderful debut EP The Dominatress, which was released in 1983 on the legendary label Metal Blade. For more info on that label, I highly recommend the book For the Sake of Heaviness: The History of Metal Blade Records, written by Brian Slagel (the creator of the label) with Mark Eglinton. Without Metal Blade and their classic compilation series Metal Massacre, on which Metallica made their vinyl debut, you might have never heard of the group who ended up becoming the biggest metal band in the world! Metallica's drummer, Lars Ulrich, even wrote the book's foreword. I could go on and on about how amazing Metal Blade is and how many other jaw-droppingly killer bands were signed to the label, but let's get back to Omen!

Through Powell's connection with Slagel, Omen already had a record deal secured, so Omen didn't need to record any demos before they released their classic US power metal debut, Battle Cry, in 1984. After a 1985 demo in which the band recorded four songs that would all end up on their second album, they released Warning of Danger later that year and it SMOKES! Before I get into the review, I'd like to introduce US Power Metal. 

As I said in my intro post, I'll be using Rate Your Music as a chronological guide for each release I review, and the site has USPM and European power metal, the kind of power metal I review on this blog. For those who are new to power metal, what differentiates USPM from EUPM, besides the location of the bands (although you can be from anywhere in the world and play in a EUPM or USPM style - the terms refer to where each style originated) is that unlike EUPM, Rate Your Music lists USPM as a subgenre of traditional heavy metal, and USPM bands tend to be more aggressive and less happy sounding than European ones. 

There's two categories of USPM: aggressive (the RYM genre page cites Jag Panzer, Helstar, Metal Church and Tony Moore era Riot as examples) and melodic (with Crimson Glory, early Savatage, early Queensryche and early Fates Warning listed as being part of this category), but even the melodic USPM bands tend to have a grittier sound than EUPM artists. If you're interested in learning more about USPM, I highly recommend these fantastic articles from Ride Into Glory, which go in-depth about the history of the genre and will give you tons of music to check out! 

Sometimes, bands combine elements of both EUPM and USPM, with the earliest example of that being the Omen album I'm about to review. On RYM, both USPM and EUPM are listed as primary genres for this record! Now that the scene has been set, let's dive into the incredible fantasy world of Warning of Danger. Before we get into the music, let's take a look at the cover:

Another badass metal cover! I love the uber-shiny and menacing serpent combined with the killer uber-shiny text and not so shiny rusting skulls. Let's flip the record over:

On the back, we get an awesome picture of each member performing live, and the LP comes with a lyric sheet, which is always a great thing to have. 

The inner sleeve has a cool band photo, and on the bottom it tells you how to order Omen merchandise. Like Helloween, I'd do that immediately if I could go back to 1985 - imagine the value of that awesome '80s merch!

Getting into the music, the record starts with the brilliant title track, which opens with an ear-catching slow distorted guitar riff from Powell. Unlike Helloween and most other power metal bands, Omen has one guitarist, but his sound is so massive that the music doesn't come off as sounding empty. Plus, Powell is able to use the studio to his advantage and record multiple guitar tracks which perfectly blend with each other. The guitar is soon joined by some nice crash, ride and kick work from Wittig and some tasty bass from Jody Henry, with the crash hits being accented by a subtle layer of acoustic guitar. Then, we hear vocalist J.D. Kimball (R.I.P.) and his gritty, commanding baritone voice, which fits the music like a fingerless leather glove. After the intro, we get to hear Kimball hold a strong note for about five seconds as a killer drum fill introduces a faster tempo. The full drum beat comes in and the song goes into an Iron Maiden-esque (I really love making Maiden comparisions!) swing. There's a short instrumental break which helps us appreciate how awesome the verse riff is, and Kimball's powerful vocal melodies make me feel like I'm preparing for an epic battle. The chorus has a half-time feel, and it's full of killer drum fills and some great subtle touches of double bass. 

Once we get through another verse and chorus, the bridge comes in, and it's full of even more fantastic drum fills and vocal melodies. It has kind of a marching feel to it, which accentuates how this song will make you feel like a warrior! As the song goes into the triumphant guitar solo, the drums go into full kickass mode, with a double bass rhythm reminiscent of Helloween's "Victim of Fate" but with less ride and snare notes. Partway through the solo, there's a great half-time section that instrumentally reprises the chorus in a fresh way, and after that, the drums go back to regular time on the ride, but with a single bass rhythm that adds variety. When the solo concludes, the song goes into the third verse and third chorus. The outro has Kimball dramatically repeating "Warning of danger!" in a catchy way, and a grand drum fill brings us out in style, with the last thing you hear is Kimball theatrically stretching the words into "Warning of dangerrrrrrrrrrrr..." accompanied by some subtle ride sweeps and a delay effect on Kimball's voice.

Next up is "March On", which starts with some slow hi-hat work. After this, the drums go into a cool tom groove accompanied by some great bass playing. A fantastic guitar solo comes in on top of that, and once it's over, the vocals briefly come in, but it's not time for the first verse yet - like in the first song, we get a moment to appreciate the powerful riffage before the vocals appear for a longer time. The verse beat is played on the hi-hat and it switches to the ride on the chorus, which helps keep things interesting. Also like the title track, there's some great subtle double bass work in this section. A short instrumental break featuring a couple of cool drum fills brings us into the second verse and second chorus. 

The bridge keeps the ride beat from the chorus going but adds a bit more double bass, which, combined with another battle-worthy vocal melody, heightens the tension. When the bridge is complete, the song goes into a badass guitar solo, and there's a part I love near the end where the snare changes from being just on the "2" and "4" of each measure to being on every beat, which is great for building momentum! Some nice drum fills bring us out of the solo and lead us into the third repetition of the verse and chorus. The song ends with a fourth repetition of the chorus. This time, the drums switch from the ride to the crash, which helps give a sense of finality. The song concludes with a fantastic dramatic slow down over Kimball holding the last note, and the tom bit at the very end is a nice touch.

Track 3 is "Ruby Eyes (Of the Serpent)" which starts with some trippy guitar feedback and cymbal work played backwards. It's a unique and attention grabbing intro for sure! After another killer guitar riff, accented with some killer cymbal chokes, drum fills, and bass playing, a pounding drum beat comes in, signifying that this song will be more up-tempo than what came before. In classic Omen fashion, we get some time to appreciate the ass-kicking verse riff before the vocals come in. Like last song, the verses are played on the hi-hat, and the choruses are played on the ride. 

After 2 repetitions of the verse and the chorus, we go into a fantastic galloping instrumental break, which like in "March On", keeps the ride work going. The bass and guitars go up and down the scale and we hear a great galloping double kick beat. After Kimball dramatically announces "Let's BURN!" the guitar solo begins, which features some fantastic shredding over the galloping ride beat. The track then goes into one more verse and chorus before repeating that awesome galloping riff again. This time, Kimball joins in, going "RUBY EYES!" over the music, and the song ends with the singer holding another long note as some delicate double kick and soft cymbal sweeps slow down the tempo.

"Don't Fear the Night" is the following number, and I'll never fear the night as long as I'm able to listen to kiler songs like this! The song starts with some slow, ballady acoustic guitar mixed with some light electric guitar, and then a short, emotional distorted guitar solo comes in. After a quick dramatic pause featuring a nice distorted guitar sustain which gradually echoes out, Kimball comes in, and the way all guitars but the acoustic go away to make room for his voice is a great subtle arrangement choice. Another detail I love is the layered vocals on the line "Try to forget." Then, Kimball holds a long note as a kickass galloping riff (more gallops, awesome!) comes in and reminds me of... you know! The riff is accompanied by a mix of cool cymbal choke accents and tom accents, as well as bass notes that match what the drums are doing. Soon, the vocals come back in, and a thundering tom fill brings us into the first verse, which keeps the galloping going as the full drum beat come sin. There's some subtle acoustic guitar work over the verses and choruses, which helps give the track an extra dimension. Like the last couple of songs, we get hi-hat on the verses followed by ride on the choruses. 

After 2 verses and 2 choruses, we go into a melodic guitar solo while the drums keep the ride groove going. The solo gets increasingly shreddy the longer it goes on - really cool stuff! Once the solo is complete, the song goes into one more repetition of the verse and the chorus. The outro has Kimball repeating "Don't fear the night!" over the chorus groove while a thunderous guitar solo is placed over the music, pushing the song to the end. There's a great drum fill during the line "Learn to stand and fight", which is followed by another classic Omen ending - holding the last note while the track slows down with some subtle ride sweeps! There's a cool lightning (!) sound effect at the very end, which helps give the finale some extra impact.

The last track on side one is an instrumental - the first instrumental I've reviewed on this blog! It's called "V.B.P." and I don't know what that abbreviation stands for. I tried looking it up on The Free Dictionary, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't refer to visionary bowling products or verified beef production! I'll call it a very badass piece. The track begins with some shredding over a slow, ominous riff, which is perfectly accented by some great tom and crash accents and bass that matches the rhythm guitar. An awesome drum fill that goes around the kit introduces a tempo change, and it's a fast swinging ride groove similar to what we heard during the title track's guitar solo. At about 0:51, some spectacular double bass comes in, I love the drum fill that happens at 1:03, and there's some cool tom and crash accents that keep the drums varied while retaining the same groove. At 1:47 we get a short but awe-inspiring guitar solo before we go back to purely focusing on the riffage. 

Starting at 2:17, there's a breathtaking section that's full of awesome tom and double kick work before we go back to the ride groove, which is kept fresh with another barrage of sick riffs. At 2:51, there's a longer guitar solo, and it's magnificent. Listen closely for the subtle variation on the beat that starts around 3:12 - those little tom hits are outstanding! At 3:31, the piece goes back into its regular groove, and we're treated to another tasty riff buffet. Near the end, the instrumental slows down again, which gives things a masterful sense of symmetry. We're given one last glorious slow riff with some nifty tom work over it. Instead of the traditional Omen ending, we're given a nice surprise when the track shifts into some beautiful acoustic guitar work that slowly fades out.

Side two starts with another surprise! "Premonition" is the second instrumental in a row. According to Rate Your Music, this piece is an example of "dungeon synth", which is the most metal name I've ever heard for a non-metal genre! Going on the genre's RYM page reveals that it has connections with black metal, which is quite cool to know, and it's astounding that the earliest dungeon synth release didn't come out in 1991. Omen was way ahead of their time with this track!

The piece itself is full of killer synth work. There's a great sustained synth sweep that lasts throughout the whole piece, accompanied by some synth brass that gradually gets higher pitched and evoke the epic sound of trumpets. Just when it seems like things can't get any more dramatic, some explosion sounds come in, which are followed by an octave bass line a bit later. Then, we get a distorted guitar that matches what the bass is doing, and some deep choral "oh, oh, oh, oh" vocals appear. The piece finishes with a gong sound effect, and the whole thing is so EPIC! I could imagine this track being used to get the audience's heart racing just before the final battle in a sword and sorcery movie.

"Termination" is my favorite song on the album. It begins with a smoking guitar riff delivered in a classic blistering sixteenth note speed metal fashion, and the urge to headbang is impossible to resist! The drums come in with the classic speed/power metal beat that never gets old: sixteenth note double kick combined with double-time hand work! Here, the beat is done with the ride cymbal, and listening closely, Wittig quickly alternates between double bass and single bass rhythms, which is a really cool touch. There's some great quick fills in there too! When the first verse starts, the drums switch to the hi-hat, and Kimball's vocals reveal that this song is based on the classic movie The Terminator (1984) - turning an already badass song into the epitome of badassery! The verses are filled with some great cymbal and guitar accents, and the band's talent shines here - even moreso than before. The drums continue the pattern of hi-hat in the verses followed by ride in the choruses, and after the second verse-chorus cycle, The ride pattern from the chorus continues, and we get a bodacious guitar solo that annihilates everything in its path! There's some more great crash accents here too, and the drum fill that brings us back into the chorus is so powerful and effective because of the way the guitar matches what the drums are doing. 

After the third verse-chorus cycle, we get an awesome higher pitched guitar riff to close us out before we go into the traditional big metal ending - Kimball's epic scream is followed by a robotic sounding voice ominously saying "terminate" in a way that's edited to get progressively higher pitched. By the end, it sounds like an evil chipmunk!

"Make Me Your King" is based on the legend of King Arthur, and even mentions Merlin and Morgana in the lyrics. So metal, even though they refer to Morgana as "Maldona" - oops! This song starts with a slow, catchy bass intro which is soon joined by tom hits and guitar notes on each beat before a killer drum fill brings us into the verse riff. As is common in Omen songs, we get some time to appreciate how brilliant the riff is before the vocals come in. The drumming breaks from the classic Omen pattern - both the verses and the choruses are played on the hi-hat. Not until the short instrumental break that follows each refrain do we hear some ride cymbal work, accompanied by the usual killer riffage. 

After the second break, Kimball shouts "BOW DOWN!" and we get another unexpected shift in the song. A harmonized power chord is heard over some blistering bass work, and a brief reprise of the intro is followed by a tempo change that brings the song into that iconic fast, swinging ride groove with double bass. A guitar solo is played over this rhythm, and it's ferocious! A sudden riff, perfectly accented by the crash cymbals, slows the song back down as we go into the third verse-chorus-break cycle. The fourth and final chorus has some awesome vocal overdubs added, and the song closes with a nice tom fill - no big ending this time!

"Red Horizon" is a political song, which is rare to hear in power metal. The "red horizon" refers to the Soviet Union, and the lyrics, delivered in the second person (except the last line "red horizon, let me go", which is in the first person) are about someone who lives there and yearns for freedom. The words mention the Iron Curtain and "living fearful of the bear", referring to Russia.

The track begins with a virtuosic tom fill, which is followed by the band coming in with another swinging double bass ride groove, which turns into a single bass groove for the verses, which are played on the hi-hat. In the refrain, the double bass and ride come back, making this track a return to the traditional drum structure of Omen songs. Look out for some awesome drums fills in the chorus! After a short reprise of the intro, we get another verse-chorus-intro cycle. During the next repetition of the intro riff, Kimball belts out a powerful "Fearful of the bearrrrrrr", which takes us into the first part of the bridge, which keeps the same rhythmic feel of the chorus but has a cool new riff and vocal melody to keep things varied! Then, the song slows down and goes into a beautiful guitar melody, which is made even poignant by Kimball's passionate singing and the delicate drums, which are still playing on the ride. 

Once this section concludes, we get a massive drum fill that brings us into the guitar solo. The rhythm and tempo are now back to where they were in the chorus, and the shredding's rad, of course! The third verse repeats the lyrics from the first, but the last refrain is twice as long as the others and gives Kimball some new lines to sing. The track ends with Kimball repeating the title of the song a couple of time over the intro riff, and just when you think the band's about to go into an electrifying big ending, Kimball sings "Let me go", and like "Make Me Your King", we end on a tom hit.

"Hell's Gates" is the last song on the album, and it starts with a slow bass intro similar to the one in "Make Me Your King." After a few bars of just bass, some gentle ride work comes in, along with a dramatic guitar solo. Soon, the drum beat comes in over the solo, and it's a slow, half-time mood-setting one played on the ride. A short time later, the drums are no longer half-time, but still delicate, and some acoustic guitar comes in to enhance the atmosphere even more. Just before the first verse, there's a stirring guitar riff that's perfectly accompanied by some majestic snare and tom playing. The drumming here is the inverse of what you'd expect: in this song, the verses are played on the ride, and the choruses are played on the hi-hat, which is a cool variation that works really well for this track. The acoustic guitar disappears during the choruses, which makes them feel heavier than the verses. 

After the second chorus, we get a nice sustained note from Kimball followed by all instruments but the bass and a clean electric guitar disappearing as we hear sustained distorted guitar feedback that slowly fades away. The bass and clean guitar introduce a new rhythm and tempo, and soon a theatrical, deep spoken word part comes in (that seems to be a common theme in the closing tracks I've covered so far: Helloween's "Cry for Freedom" has one of those too!) There's some awesome bursts of toms that come in during this part, and a short fill launches us into an instrumental break reminiscent of Iron Maiden's "Quest for Fire" (I just had to get one more Maiden comparison in!) 

Once about 30 seconds of solid riffing have passed, the guitar solo starts. It begins melodically, gets a bit shreddy, and then goes back to being more melodic. There's some subtle changes in the drumming during this part: there's a bit of double bass used, and when the solo ends and the song goes into the bridge, which continues the rhythm established during the instrumental break and solo, the double bass becomes constant. This is a great way of upping the ante, and makes it feel extra dramatic when the song slows back down for the final chorus. Listen closely and you'll hear acoustic guitar added to this variation on the refrain, which heightens the sense of contrast. The song ends by slowing down further as Kimball delivers one last long note - not screaming, but fading into the sunset.

To conclude, Omen's Warning of Danger is a masterful album, and one I'd recommend to anyone who loves power metal (either USPM or EUPM), traditional heavy metal, and to a lesser extent, speed metal ("Termination" is a speed metal piece de resistance!) Tomorrow, we'll return to the EUPM legends Helloween, and this time I'll be reviewing their brilliant 1985 debut album Walls of Jericho!