Review Summary: Though their second release shows some flaws, Power of Omens have pushed progressive music to a staggering level of technicality, songwriting skill and vitality. Prog haters should hide in Abbottabad for six years.
Destroy whatever notion of what "progressive" means and replace it with this. The next step for Power of Omens, already known for their limb-shattering musicianship as much as the tastefully calculated manner in which it was used, was to go completely all-out. The result is almost overwhelming and caused heated division; where to go next would even puzzle the band members and be a contributing factor in their 2003 split and 2006 disbandment. While it occasionally suffers from musical overload and burnout and should
not be attempted by a new prog fan,
Rooms of Anguish is an effort that must be respected for its attempt to push the boundaries of musicianship with such success, and the excess is of the delicious type that always stays with me long after finishing a prog album.
The drastic changes in tone that this classic San Antonio tech-prog band underwent in the five years between its two albums produce new, different, fresh results. While
Eyes of the Oracle was still somewhat of a traditional progressive metal album in technicality, though not structure,
Rooms of Anguish is far more complex, bombastic, metallic and quite a bit faster. Not long after the second track begins, again preceded by an intro, the change in musical direction is made very clear. Rather than the classical, no-holds-barred song format of the past, most songs have recognizable, accessible song structures, but still maintain the same epic, wandering, unfettered feel. Experimental bands such as this can thrive in any environment, and this makes them remarkably consistent whatever changes - for living proof, see
Kekal, who logically journeyed from black metal to electronic music over eight albums.
Power of Omens has always been a band without restrictions, not simply on technical grounds but in creating a mood. Important to making the new direction cohesive is the changed role of the keyboards, which always gives prog bands more tonal vocabulary. There is a greater emphasis on more traditional, almost electronic keyboard solos as well as symphonic, haunting background effects. They give the songs a much deeper, darker and more contemporary vibe than previously, and yet they are almost comforting, inviting the listener to join the experience. Notice the brief mellow lead at 6:28 of
As Winter Falls, one of many keyboard leads played by guest member Andrew Sanchez.
Alex Arellano, who I could describe as the combination of Neil Peart and Brann Dailor playing
simultaneously, maintains his famous taste in cymbals and subtle touches but ditches many of his simpler beats in favor of constantly shifting meters, multiple syncopations, long strings of seemingly random passages and a complete disregard for tradition, treating his drum kit as if it was a melodic instrument rather than something intended to keep time. The obligatory 20-minute epic
In the End gives Alex the chance to show off his skill in an unrestrained environment. He maintains his status as one of the world's elite drummers and one of my favorites; though his style is much different than
Dream Theater's, Alex was easily my top choice on technical talent that didn't audition. He is currently exploring his unique style inside an avant-garde classical/prog fusion group entitled
The Fractured Dimension which always manages to remind me of Animusic.
David Gallegos (now playing acoustic flamenco/New Age; click the link) is an unstoppable force on guitar, taking greater control of the writing and adding a seventh string. Frequently, rather than playing traditional riffs, he leaps around his fretboard and utilizes the full range of the riffing strings, playing continuous streams of notes such that he maintains melodic sense regardless of technicality. David's unique guitar style is best explored by the lead work: even when the solos are speedy they are highly emotional, and the slow solos on track 8 among others are beautifully done. New bassist Chris Herring gets his chances to show his skills for Power of Omens, favoring a very agile style with plenty of tense fills; tracks 3, 7 and 9 really show off his abilities. The bass is easily audible, filling in the bottom end for David or playing his own way: think John Myung on caffeine.
Vocalist Chris Salinas sings a lot more, as the album’s lyrics are even more personal than the debut; he adds in a lot more different, demanding and often more aggressive vocal styles along with his signature Geoff Tate-styled 3-octave wonder to match his lyrics. He is known among fans of the band for the ability to place vocal hooks over chaos with equal aplomb to the other members, and the experimental side of his voice would come to fruition in later adventures as the lead singer of
Zero Hour. I often struggle to understand what the lyrics mean at times, because the language is so simple yet has several layers of obtuse meanings. Much of the lyrics are based around his long struggles with faith and religion and how the world around him shapes his changing feelings. The struggle culminates in a beautiful vision of the divine on the 11-minute title track, which changes his life forever. (Don't miss this story!)
As with any Power of Omens material, listening to
Rooms of Anguish can have a similar effect. The short introduction
Welcome to My World sets up this band’s warm, embracing vitality with layers of symphonics and doubled harmonies from guest vocalists Chris Roy and Michelle Loose, and then falls into track two with some repeated off-time riffs, then adds a bass and key melody on top. When this begins, the trademark Power of Omens ability to blur reality with their intricate multilayered polyphony irretrievably envelops a willing listener for the remaining running time. Selections throughout
Rooms of Anguish impress in all categories of dynamics.
Track three
My Best to Be... opens with more unusual melodies and another band signature pulsing choir background, moves into rhythmic battering and very much impresses in how drum fills continue moving while the riffs don't stop, then the fills collapse and lead straight into the pre-chorus, where the musical tension begins increasing! The calmer, tasteful acoustic guitar and piano solo shines with gentle beauty and emotional vocals from Chris Salinas, but this is only one star in this piece of music: the whole band is able to play opposing ideas that seem to make no sense on their own, but yet fit them together very carefully. The amount of melody that pervades even the most insane jams takes very deep listening: only after a while have these songs stuck in my head and never gone away. More reserved selections, such as the rather short (six minutes) ballad
Only a Dream where Alex actually plays in 4/4 for extended periods (!) and the half flamenco, half prog metal instrumental
The Calm Before the Storm are welcome surprises. Another album highlight, the atmospheric, gorgeously detailed
As Winter Falls, brims with chilly atmosphere from a slower pace, melancholy vocals, dramatically surging synths and Native American pan flutes that detail the rich musical heritage of Power of Omens.
The musical whirlwind of the 20-minute epic
In the End deserves its own review: instrumental unisons wildly jump around scales and create hurricane-force winds of epic technical wizardry during a six-minute instrumental movement, deep seven-string guitar riffs come and go and Chris Salinas' voice reaches nearly impossible notes as his existential crisis reaches its peak. The transitions in this piece are beyond music: halfway through, the metal slows down and the cymbals carefully deconstruct into nothing while guest vocalist Michelle Loose sings wordless Arabian scales for the next two minutes; the piece picks up and majestically moves into its chaotic instrumental section, and just the entrance of C. Salinas' high-pitched wail after being silent for almost
nine minutes brings the track to the last of a series of steadily growing climaxes. Before the listener can breathe,
Only a Dream has already begun and its acoustic guitars feel in comparison like deafening silence after Hurricane Katrina. The only song I've heard that sounds bigger is
Rosetta's
Monument, the best piece of post-metal ever created!
Everything about
Rooms of Anguish feels over-the-top, and the amount of success this formula yields is proof of the band's legacy, but with so much going on, it's impossible to score perfection and there are a couple of noticable flaws. The material on
Eyes of the Oracle always felt solidly grounded wherever it went, but on some occasions this material feels like it doesn't have enough solidity. The production doesn't solve this problem when it does arise: the vocals are far in front of the mix which doesn't mix too well with Chris' new techniques (as noticed by several reviewers), the guitar tone could still have been a bit stronger and the drumming is pushed far back. The snare lacks the sturdy whack it had on
Eyes and instead feels like a click, and the bass drum is even more clicky and lower in the mix. When listened to in the right setting and sufficiently loud (both albums have perfect dynamic range, which is absolutely necessary for this type of music), this is of less consequence, but it does make things blend together a bit too much and cause a case of overload. I can't really fault the band; issues with their former label Elevate Records had forced them to finish the CD on a tight schedule, which had the undesirable effect of squeezing out planned ideas such as more backing vocals from Chris Herring, which only appear on track 8. It's a long story that isn't particularly suited for this review. At a very lengthy 75 minutes and 34 seconds, the small imperfections become clearer: Power of Omens' approach gets nearly too epic for its own good near the end, despite not dipping noticeably in musical quality. This is also a minor complaint if one is a fan of the genre, as almost all of the time the excess is simply the result of having epicness pushed to a new level. What eventually does pull the rating down somewhat is that the straighter songs, such as
With These Words, seem to be too basic and lack the same fire and meticulous precision of the gems. The band was recording a third album in a more straightforward style before they broke up, and this band just doesn't do that type of music.
Overall, 1998's
Eyes of the Oracle remains the superior release by one category. However, with that album already behind them as the best prog release of the year, approaching perfection and "100% heart" (David), the band had to throw everything they possibly could into the pot and try their best in this "over-the-top attempt at topping
Eyes of the Oracle" (David) to have any chance at equaling its success. Unfortunately, the current lineup would not last long, and despite soldiering on for another three years with Alex Arellano replaced, the band dynamic and their "imagination and will power" (inside the
Eyes booklet) was never the same, and this would cause the band to break up for good in 2006. The prog world can hope for them to come back...but it's only a dream.
