Omery Rising – The Rising

My favourite new way to discover great bands is by following the careers of the singers that leave White Wizzard. So far, that has led me to Holy Grail, Monument, and sometime last year, Omery Rising. Joseph Michael sung on the Omery Rising’s “Lady Snow” single and was also called up for duty for the band’s first full-length record, “The Rising”. This album does live up to both its epic cover art and title. It may take a few spins for the songs to click, as they’re a bit more subtle than some of the speed/heavy bands around today, but when it does click, this album will become a favourite.

The aforementioned White Wizzard is an excellent comparison to Omery Rising, and in particular, “The Rising” actually bears a strong resemblance to “The Devil’s Cut” (and not just because they share the same singer). A lot of Omery Rising’s riffs have those very cool, Maiden-esque chord progressions and harmonies. Sometimes they are heavily muted (see the intro to “Warzone”), while at others, they make incredibly interesting use of different rhythms, as well as plenty of galloping. Perhaps the only major area where “The Rising” differs from “The Devil’s Cut” is that it isn’t quite as aggressive with it’s guitar solos, which really just means that “The Rising” doesn’t have at least 5 guitar solos in every song. When they do pop up though, they’re usually incredibly well written, offering both shredding goodness and melodically pleasing lines.

Perhaps my favourite thing about this album is the bass playing. While the guitars and riffs are what drive the diversity of the record, the bass playing never lets up. It easily cuts through the mix, and there are even quite a few breaks with no guitars where a short bass fill pops out. Both the tone and style of the bass playing is very Steve Harris-esque, and there is no higher compliment when it comes to a 4-stringed attack in my eyes.

From a songwriting perspective, the album is pretty consistently strong. Though “Metal Holocaust” isn’t exactly a burner of an opener, it is a fantastic instrumental that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The 1-2 punch of “March of Madness” and “The People’s Temple” is the highlight, as both songs deliver fantastic choruses, showing Joseph Michael’s incredible vocal talents. The band’s previous single, “Lady Snow”, also appears here, and my opinion of this song has warmed over time, primarily because I’ve found it to be catchier and catchier.

If there is one complaint I could see someone levying against this album it would be the snare drum tone. Personally, I’ve always enjoyed when bands do something a bit different with their snare, and this album is no exception, but it is a bit mechanical sounding. Nevertheless, that is a minor issue on an otherwise stellar album. While it doesn’t seem like the new wave of traditional heavy metal scene is growing all that much anymore, bands like Omery Rising will keep it going strong for years to come!

Be sure to check out and like Omery Rising on Facebook!

Highlights

"Warzone"

"March of Madness"

"The People's Temple"

"Lady Snow"

Final Rating

4.6/5 or 92%. 

Written by Scott 

Omery Rising – Lady Snow

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.

Be sure to check out and like Omery Rising on Facebook!

Highlight

"Lady Snow"

Final Rating

3.8/5 or 76%. 

Written by Scott