The second album from the sensational Argentine duo PUNTO OMEGA, who became a discovery for Trisol Music Group, one of the most renowned labels in the gothic and electronic underground. According to the press release, the Argentinians' music combines rarely paired elements of neofolk, EBM, and orchestral symphonism. However, this recipe is not applied across all compositions.
The first instrumental, "Nostalgias Del Origen," opens with the sound of bagpipes straight out of a non-extreme context, and with the addition of symphonic elements and a marching rhythm, smoothly transforms into an epic intro absolutely characteristic of power metal acts a la Blind Guardian and Rhapsody. The second track, "El Destierro," is no less surprising — a slow, beautiful guitar arpeggio gives way around the second minute to electronic rhythms and, of course, the sampled raspy vocals characteristic of the style. It's precisely this last attribute that creates a sense of monotony and is the aspect of EBM that appeals to me the least. The following four songs are executed in a classic EBM vein, with the exception of "El Ojo" and "La Vida Es Solo Teatro," where Gregorian chants slip through in the style of ERA and the semi-forgotten E-NOMINE. One gets the impression that only "El Destierro" truly combines all the musical elements touted in the press release. The situation changes after the 6th composition. It is the subsequent songs featuring guest vocalists — "Fragmentos Del Alma" (Ivan Munoz from Hopeless), "Falsos Suenos" (Elena A. Fassi from KIRLIAN CAMERA), and "Alma Gemela" (Karen Sundnius) — that are the true gems of the album, where all the promised experiments resurface. I was particularly captivated by the magnificent "Falsos Suenos," in which, incidentally, the guitar is used for the only time on the album not as a special effect to darken the overall atmosphere but to create the general rhythmic pattern.
If Piligrim and Violator continue to combine stylistic blending with diverse vocal lines in their future works, the maximum score from me for PUNTO OMEGA is guaranteed.
P.S. A few words about the booklet — since all songs are performed in Spanish, an English translation is placed alongside the original lyrics on each page, which is sure to please those who enjoy digging into the lyricism.