Fell Omen – Caelid Dog Summer (Medieval Anlog Metalpunk)
Yo, my boy is back. Actually, he hasn’t been gone that long. It’s only been seven months since his last one lol! But, I expect nothing less than that from a big dude who loves steel, motorcycles, and wooing the medieval ladies with flowers (band promo for this, his latest). If the first album, Invaded by a Dark Spirit, was his way of saying “hi,” this one, Caelid Dog Summer, is his say of saying “LISTEN THE FUCK UP.” Keeping the lo-fi, analog approach to his particular form of dungeon metalpunk (I made that up last go), Fell Omen is not taking a break from his swordplay. In fact, he’s only removed one head from the hydra. There’s still more chopping to be done and it seems he’s not bothering to burn the stumps so he can chop them off again, and again, and again.
Anyone who uses Elden Ring references for their work while dealing out this shit deserves praise for being a true gamer. If that’s the kind of guy we’re dealing with here, get ready for the real shit. Fell Omen is monarch of lo-fi, in the true feudal sense. Militant in his analog demands, Caelid Dog Summer feels less like an experiment, and more like a dip into the past, discovering a band that should have seen far more impact than it did. The great thing is you could place him 50 years ago, or today, and the shit still rips. The aggression is somewhat toned down for this go, as a calm before what must be an upcoming storm, but don’t let my words fool you for he deals out the same hot-off-the-forge riff slicing as before, yet this time the skill level is greatly advanced. One almost wonders if Fell Omen got us interested with the approach before revealing his true greatness; he drew us in with the attitude, the production, the style, but now… From prince to king, I suppose. Particularly noticeable this time is his domination of metal technique including addictive riffs, productive layering (including occasional vocals), and terrifyingly technical guitarplay that can wipe out entire kingdoms in one fell solo.
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
Fell Omen – Caelid Dog Summer
True Cult Records
Cover Art: Gilded Panoply
4.8 / 5
