From Bandcamp, “The world’s most prominent bass driven instrumental rock act, Australia’s THE OMNIFIC, return with their sophomore opus, “The Law of Augmenting Returns,” an audacious and magnificent triumph - to be released on June 7, 2024 via Wild Thing Records. It explores the notion that the more effort you invest in your artistry, the greater the rewards you reap.” “The Omnific ≈ Bass” opens the album, and it consists of a sort of advertisement for the album. Harmonized vocals sing the work “bass” over and over again, and then bass comes in, heavy and melodic. One thing is for sure right away…these guys have talent with their instruments. The creates advanced and complicated textures that are actually fun to listen to. The title track is another masterpiece when it comes to displaying the bass guitar. Think about it…it’s an instrument many Metaheads don’t even acknowledge a whole lot, or are unable to identify it unless it is pointed out. But what the band shows in this song and others is its fantastic versatility.

“Matrices” gets down to business, with dark, weighted, Djent style bass slaps and drum work that keep in constant step with each other. The accents are so heavy at times it sound like machine gun fire to me. “Bass Camp” is much brighter and sunnier. From the opening note, melody flows like a secret spring in the mountain, promising the drinker clean, cold water that is refreshing and thirst quenching, and showing that the band has a knack for melody in addition to aggression. “Will-O’-the-Wisp” has a dark and mysterious flair that doesn’t reveal its true self completely…it stays partially hidden in the shadows. Listen to the command that the trio has with the music however, it is impressive.

“Phat Mackerel” is a shorter and faster moving song, still with those heavy accents, and melody builds behind it in the background. “Butterfingers” is actually anything but…they should call it peanut butter fingers due to their precise work in the frets of the bass. They get down and dirty with some super heavy accents that sticks to the bass like magnets. “Double Malt Ditty” closes the album, and it’s another display of incredible musicianship. Perhaps the most striking thing about the album is that prowess aside, the band are also excellent songwriters. The average listener might see the limitation of four strings, but they see a veritable wide-open field, and they explore every inch.