Omery Rising hails from California and plays relatively
standard traditional heavy metal. “Lady Snow” is their second release, and is a
two-track single featuring Joseph Michael (ex-White Wizzard) doing guest vocals
for both songs. Though I’m unfamiliar with the band’s other release, the choice
of songs for a single is a bit surprising. Both tracks open with slow clean
guitars, and generally don’t provide that fast burst of energy you’d expect in
a single. Nevertheless, the title track picks up quite a bit, and proves to be
very catchy after repeated listens. Though this song has some great riffs, it
is the interplay of the vocals and the riffs that make “Lady Snow” particularly
memorable. Whether the vocals melodies or the riffs on this song were written
first, it is clear that both elements were written to complement the other in a
way that most bands don’t pull off.
Joseph’s vocal performance on this release is not quite as
impressive as it was on “The Devil’s Cut”, but the fact remains that he’s an
incredibly talented singer, and still has a pretty unbelievable range. Production
wise, this album mirrors a lot of other current heavy metal albums. The bass is
up front and noticeable most of the time, but the guitars always take
precedence. No instrument manages to drown out another, which is always a
positive. The ending to “Lady Snow” has a relatively uneventful guitar solo in
it, but I would love to hear the guitarist go to town and shred non-stop. His
solo on “Road To Sleepy Hollow” is better and more fitting of the song, but
still doesn’t have any shredding in it. This may be a consequence of the mid-paced
tempo used on the album, because traditional heavy metal bands typically
overload us with solos.
Overall, Omery Rising shows a lot of potential with this single. Both
songs are pretty good, though the title track is definitely stronger. I think
they hurt themselves a bit with the song choice given the format of the
release, but these songs would definitely strengthen a full-length album. Even
if Joseph Michael isn’t on the band’s next release, I will definitely check it
out as “Lady Snow” shows the band is able to write pretty solid material.
Highlight
"Lady Snow"
Final Rating
3.8/5 or 76%.
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