Melodic death metal is a subgenre within death metal that tends to explore the uniqueness of what a musician is able to produce, whether it is melodies or guitar solos. Omnium Gatherum pull this off to perfection. Despite the harsh vocals of frontman Jukka Pelkonen, which are absolutely brutal, where this band shines is in their musicality, and upon listening to May The Bridges We Burn Light the Way, this could not be more obvious. There is a massive amount of ambience portrayed, and the melodies here are sometimes breathtaking, making this one of the top melodic death metal albums of the year.
‘The Last Hero’ is the third song on this album, and is the first that really feels conceptualized and cohesive. The verses here are full of speed and power, but the chorus just as expected packs a melodic punch. The guitar melodies give the song a refreshing feel as they are atmospheric and are nowhere near as heavy as the riffs in the verses. Before the second chorus, there is a gorgeous guitar interlude which leads into the hook. The bridge in this track is outstanding as well, as the synths and guitars intertwine together to build the return of the guttural vocals briefly before the guitar solo. The final chorus here has a buildup just like the guitar solo does, and this all results in the first highlight of this record.
The following song is not only the longest, but is also the most epic. The initial riff stays consistently throughout the near seven-minute runtime which elevates the catchiness of it when it shows up. Drummer Atte Pesonen is a highlight on this song as well as his drumming accentuates each segment of this song perfectly, no matter if it is fast double bass work or simpler single pedal beats. The chorus on this track is extremely atmospheric again as all of the components this band has, including clean vocals here are showcased without overpowering one another. The solo section of ‘The Darkest City’ begins with a mellow yet melodic guitar solo, which ends in another battle with the synths before the harsh vocals return, marking the return of the main riff again as well as the uber catchy chorus. At this point, things speed up as another, much faster and intricate guitar solo takes place, which again ends with the main riff. Initially you are led to believe that this is how the song ends, but do not turn it off just yet, as the main riff returns one last time after a few seconds of silence. This time, however, as a really emotional almost funk to jazz like riff. Only then does the song wrap up. This is one of the best songs of the year and if there is one song on this album that you should listen to, it is ‘The Darkest City’.
‘Ignite The Flame’ is another of the longer tracks on the record and is also a must listen. It starts with a fast-paced old school riff before the first verse. The pre choruses continue the old school vibe which has some nice subtle elements such as the guitar parts building up towards the chorus which becomes more and more noticeable just before the chorus comes on. The hook here has a classic metal sound to it with how melodic the guitarwork is. The bridge is all over the place here in terms of its pacing. It is rapid, but consistently changes rhythm. This includes the guitar solo which at a certain point is accompanied by blast beats. The solo leads to the final chorus as expected before the melodic yet atmospheric instrumental ending which again incorporates every band member to create an unforgettable ending.
‘Streets Of Rage’ is another song which has a continuous riff that gets repeated. As a result, this shorter song is extremely catchy. The pre choruses here are packed with atmosphere and melody before the chorus comes on encouraging you to chant along to it with the band. The solo here has a couple of halves. The first one is as technical as the second half is melodic, and when combined it sounds incredible. This, as always, leads into the final chorus, and by this point if you are not repeating it back to the band then there clearly is something wrong with you.
‘Barricades’ is the final longer song. At just under six minutes long it is another epic. Straight from the get-go, the opening riff comes in and the atmosphere it creates is almost akin to a power metal melody. This level of ambience continues in the chorus as the riff comes back. The instrumental section of this track begins with more of this power metal feel as the atmosphere builds up for the guitar solo, which is one of the best on this record. Once again, the rhythm changes a couple of times before the dreamlike guitar melodies from earlier in the solo section return, this time with a mix of the clean and harsh vocals. The solo section here ends with another guitar solo which is accompanied by very subtle synth melodies to wrap this epic track up.
Overall, musically, this album is unbelievable. Each member of this band delivers, and each one of them has at least one standout moment. The songs that are over five minutes long are some of the best of this year, but the shorter ones are overshadowed by just how good the longer tracks are. This as a result makes the shorter tracks feel much less special or listenable. This does not mean that the three- to four-minute-long songs are bad by any means, they are just not on the same level as the longer ones.
With this album, Omnium Gatherum have managed to cement themselves as a band that is still on top form within the melodic death metal community. Some of the instrumentation on this record is so much better than in recent albums by other bands such as Arch Enemy. If the long songs on this album are this great, the death metal world should be very scared, as this band should be considered as royalty in the extreme metal world.
Omnium Gatherum: May the Bridges We Burn Light the Way – Out 7 November 2025 (Century Media)
OMNIUM GATHERUM – My Pain (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
