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OMINOUS RUIN
Requiem

Willow Tip (2025)
Rating: 7/10

Tech-death has never been my cup of tea, but every now and then I’ll lend a hesitant ear to such a slab. In this case it’s the second full-length album from San Francisco, California-based combo Ominous Ruin. Since the last outing, Amidst Voices That Echo In Stone, in 2021 a major change has taken place with long time vocalist Adam Rosado fleeing the nest to be replaced by Crystal Rose. She’s joined here by other longstanding members Alex Bacey (guitar) and Mitch Yoesle (bass), while Joel Guernsey (guitar) and Harley Blandford (drums), who both joined in 2020, complete the line-up.

As I anticipated, with Requiem there are plenty of hyper drum blasts, busy guitar work and the usual formulaic but effective growls. I did expect something heavier, but maybe the production is to blame for that because at times the whole thing sounds a bit tinny and thin. However, the album is awash with technicality and dynamic melodies and not once did I find myself mourning the absence of Rosado.

Crystal Rose does a fine job with the immense gruff bellows as ‘Seeds Of Entropy’ breaks through with angular bass lines and percussive flurries. Every instrument weaves its way through the wiry framework with a jarring fluidity. It’s just a shame that there is a lack of beef in the production. Even so, some of the axe work available is fantastic and although such albums can be a bit of an unrelenting jab to the skull, after a few spins one really does begin to get their feet under the table.

Admittedly the first handful of plays result in dizzy spells, not that Ominous Ruin does anything different than any other tech-death band, and while there are moments of repetition there’s still much to admire. Maybe I’m just a sucker for a guttural female voice, but Crystal really does drag this platter into gnarlier depths.

‘Eternal’ simmers nicely, remaining steady on the complex percussive kicks and rolls as the angular guitar weaves itself through the nooks. However, ‘Eternal’ also showcases some of my quibbles, namely that the drums at times just sound quite clicky to the point of irritating. Again, I ask where is the meat? Crystal’s vocals resort to a less welcoming snap this time round and I’m left craving her chesty huffs.

Ominous Ruin certainly likes to experiment though, even if that’s somewhat predictable too, but in ‘Architect Of Undoing’ there’s some tranquil passages, a smattering of jerks and tremors and a dazzling solo, but it doesn’t feel like nerd showboating. ‘Fractal Abhorrence’ begins with a sci-fi sort of synth and then slips into latter day Death alongside Beyond Creation.

Requiem is riddled with spidery axe work and there’s no denying the talent on show here as countless melodies slip into mesmeric layering. It doesn’t matter how zany and crazed this album gets though, the familiarity of sounds remains as strong hints of Deeds Of Flesh waft on the breeze. But don’t let such comparisons hinder your opinion of the band, because Ominous Ruin are so obviously making strides, spreading their wings and reinventing themselves – and there’s no harm in that.

Neil Arnold

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