Many bands, especially today, struggle in keeping listeners interested in their music. Sure, some might have a good song or two on an album, but the difficulty often lies in crafting work that is consistent in its approach as well as varied enough to give people a reason not to hit the 'next' button on their media players, all without sounding too derivative of the sources that inspired it. Swedish Metallers OMNIZIDE, on their debut LP "Death Metal Holocaust", manage to avoid simply reinventing the wheel while writing an album that both respects the styles influencing it and brings a fresh perspective with their brand of Black / Thrash Metal.

Formed originally as Black Metal outfit BELZEN by Mikael Nox and guitarist Anders, OMNIZIDE as a band did not officially exist until years later, after the members finished work on other projects together. Nox and Anders expressed interest in reforming their old band, and, after a name change to OMNIZIDE, filled out the rest of their lineup with guitarist Jesper and drummer Gaddur. This lineup recorded the band's first album, with bassist B-Force (ex-DARK FUNERAL) joining soon afterwards.

The band rip into the listener with leadoff track "Rotting Flesh Parade", which boasts high-speed drumming, the sinister rasps of mainman Nox, and some positively evil-sounding guitar playing. "No Remorse" continues this trend, and, fittingly, offers no respite from the sonic assault of the band's instruments. The thing that is most impressive about this album, to me, is that the songs are not only both well-executed and well written, but that they are, dare I say, catchy. As someone who can be a little picky about their Metal, I knew it was a good sign that I found myself singing / growling along after just a few listens.

Following the (possibly) even faster and relentless "Monolith", another highlight, is "The Eternally Damned". While the band slows down somewhat for this one, the song's speed (or lack thereof) only serves to make the track even more crushingly heavy, while the drawn-out opening notes begin to drag the listener through the hellish soundscape being created. The second half of the album is equally strong, with the double bass drum break starting at the 2:10 mark of "Crystals of Death" reminding this reviewer of the one from DEATH's "Zombie Ritual" in the way that it maintains heaviness without the need for blast beats and the like. While the lyrical content presented is very standard extreme Metal fare, it is presented with a dark enthusiasm that keeps things entertaining throughout, all the way to the post-apocalyptic silence concluding "Nuclear Strike". The two songs from the "Pleasure From Death" EP are also well done.

While definitely not a groundbreaking record, OMNIZIDE succeed in throwing the gauntlet down to bands who merely rehash older material, with an album that stays true to their old-school roots while establishing their own style. The riffs are great, and the songs are heavy. Overall, "Death Metal Holocaust" is a solid debut offering worth checking out.