Fell Omen – Invaded by a Dark Spirit (Armor-Clad Dungeon Metalpunk)
I should have probably shown one, or all, of the band photos for Fell Omen, because it more accurately summarizes what you’re in for. Let me give you an idea in words, which likely don’t do them justice: big guy, suit of armor, motorcycle, sword. Though we’re given no clarity beyond that, I’d bet rolls a natural 20 for every stat. That’s boring, though, honestly guy probably plays Rifts. But, whatever, riding deep in the dungeons of Greece, filling the tunnels with diesel smoke as his exhaust rumbles like an awakening leviathan, Fell Omen, the one-man, armor-clad, dungeon metalpunk master, is here, and no one knows about him yet, but prepare thyself for the future of cold steel. This is pure grit turned into metal with tons of folksy, battle-cry resonance!
The first thing one should note about Invaded by a Dark Spirit is the analog quality. I’m not sure how this shit was recorded, but it sounds like it was done on a reel-to-reel with the amount of hiss over everything, which is especially noticeable at the end of some tracks. Even better is the resonance from this effect that gives everything a pulsating sound. This “damn forgot to hit stop” aesthetic is all over Fell Omen’s work, giving it an authentic, old-school sound that would become too demo for most bands if they tried, but here, nah, he’s slicing through weak metal chainmail with it like it was a birthright. Some bands like to claim they “worship the altar” of various things, but this is what builds the altar, and the entire cathedral wherein it rests! Dabbling in lo-fi synth sorcery, black metal assault, and with a well-hidden punk message, Fell Omen commands us all to unite in steel to storm the metaphorical castle! But a literal one is also okay.
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
Fell Omen – Invaded by a Dark Spirit
True Cult Records
Cover Art: Gilded Panoply
4.7 / 5
