I thoroughly enjoyed the sheer energy and other-worldliness sci-fi themes of Omen Opus’ Archives album I reviewed a couple of months ago and so was really looking forward to giving this CD a spin. It’s labelled as a two disc EP Album and was released in May 2012 on the brilliantly named Monty Maggot Records.

The first CD I picked out of the case was actually the Plague EP which is a four track EP that starts off with the hugely evocative and somewhat dark “Plague of Ten” (Plague Part 1) with lyrics written by Bridget Wishart who also provides lyrical content for parts II, III with the words for The Plague Part iV being provided by Thomas Nashe (1592). As I say Part I is ethereal and quite beautiful in its stripped down style whereas Part II (Plague of Fire) takes a completely different route with a stonking great effected bassline. It’s an equally dark track that’s difficult to tag a genre – it’s definitely rock but further than that I’m at a bit of a loss.

The Plague Part III (Solitude) is back to the atmospherics with some beats slightly reminiscent of trip-hop in parts.

“A Litany in a Time of Plague” (Plague Part iv) has that lyric from 1592 I mentioned and in parts the whole tune takes on a medieval vibe but then it gets fused with atmospheric synths before breaking into a metal-rock-space-thing.

They’re an interesting band are Omen Opus and, as I think I’ve mentioned before they’re very difficult to pigeonhole. They’re certainly on the darker side of things (plague is hardly the cheeriest of subject matter to begin with) and they do have moments of beauty but also violence within the same track and I think they’d be of huge appeal to a goth audience – but please don’t let that put you off exploring Omen Opus as they’re interesting in a world of mass mediocrity.

The second EP in the pack is called Scars (another jolly title then) has six tracks and opens with the tune “Sentiments”. I suppose this is a similarly post-goth style mixing as it doesthe light with the dark and beauty with violence.

“Songline” has the protracted drone of a didgeridoo throughout the track to compliment the sparse aboriginal vocal theme whilst “Brookleaze” is beautifully sparse with just strings and piano sounds that create an enchantingly beautiful tun that juxtaposes “The Binary Dimensions” moonlanding soundscapes. It’s tripped out stuff but I also think it’s also very clever indeed and whilst you get into thinking that Omen Opus are all a bit experimental and odd and different up comes the tune “My Secret Ghost” which is much more straightforward ….space rock…I think, though Wishart’s vocal adds a menacing, unearthly quality to the proceedings. “Second Sight” finishes off the EP and it’s industrial in parts, acid rock in others…but then wait aminute here comes some metal for good measure.

Call Omen Opus what you like, to be honest I haven’t got the foggiest idea to be honest, but they are certainly an interesting (and at times disturbing) band that deserve your attention…with a head full of acid they’ll be fabulous – if a bit on the darker side of things. Personally I really like their music but then i can understand why others would find the music of Omen Opus a little jarring. Enter at your own risk!