OMISSION, self-described as a "Satanic Speed Thrash Metal War Machine", marked their first release from French label Emanes Metal Records with "Pioneers of the Storm" - their third full length studio album.

Opening with the villainous, minute-long Ad Intra; OMISSION did an effective job of introducing listeners to the album's essence by blasting listeners into a hair-raising screeching homage to Satanism.

OMISSION is perhaps best recognized for their over-the-top leather-and-spikes image, complete with face paint and no shortage of satanic imagery. That being said, "Pioneers of the Storm" is actually a brilliant album filled to the brim with quality music and old-school thrash styles that will surely send listeners into frenzies of delight.

The solos all have a ringing, blazing feel that harks to the good old days of Heavy Metal, carrying with it a Kirk Hammet-esque ("Ride The Lightning" era) musicality that brings back the hard and heavy sounds of Thrash and complements it with an effective dose of Rockstar virtuosity.

Aside from that, bassist Surt's craft, described on OMISSION's website as "roaring bass", proved to be an enjoyable highlight of the album. Throughout all tracks, the thunderous bass can be heard vividly, spicing up each song perfectly and adding a significant kick and touch of brutality that makes each track quite an experience.

OMISSION'S 80's thrash influence can really be heard in tracks such as "Drunken, Junkie & Punter", where that 80's thrash guitar crunch can be heard shredding throughout the framework of the song, causing listeners to succumb to a neck-snapping bout of good ol' headbanging.

The considerably slower "Deathwish", despite its chunkier tempo, was still a very effective brain-basher with its heavy, dense riffs while "Totally Fucked Up", one of the faster tracks, solidified the band's status as a Speed / Thrash act that with its music can kick off some seriously brutal thrashing. However, the standout track for me was track number 2, "The Slaughter Hour". The bass work was very much prominent here, and vocalist Patillas scorched through the track with his high and dramatic vocal work that made me think of a young, Satanic Dave Mustaineon steroids. There were also some Death Metal growls here and there, sounds that any Metalhead will identify as immensely gratifying.

Finally, during the last track, "Attack of the Living Dead", there is a significantly long pause from 3:15 to 6:05, after which listeners will be greeted to an atmospheric clip accented by eerie percussions complete with a voice made to sound much like what I perceive Satan would sound like chanting to the listener, sealing the deal that "Pioneers of the Storm" undoubtedly sticks with its word of being "Satanic Speed Thrash Metal".

OMISSION is definitely a band to be reckoned with, as they have displayed through this release that not only do they truly understand and execute the art of Speed / Thrash, they are quite the masters of their instruments, being much more technical than the genre usually demands. They certainly are a dose of fresh air with their outlandish image yet uncompromising musicianship.

Influences from Thrash, Death, and Black Metal can be heard throughout the album, and all songs have a distinct hook that sets them apart from each other. The satanic feel is definitely there while other songs have an audibly more light-hearted and carefree feel that remind listeners to thrash just for Thrash's sake. There is no shortage of potentially classic riffs. OMISSION, with "Pioneers of the Storm", has definitely made a thunderous impression.