Detailed Reviews [Omnia - 2003 - "Hormonal"]

Prolusion. "Hormonal" is the first official album by the Argentinean band Omnia.

Synopsis. The music presented here is completely original, genuinely inspired and exquisite, and also amazingly sophisticated and interesting. The 10-track "Hormonal" features the equal number of songs and instrumental compositions, all of which, without exception, are real masterworks. All the band members are incredibly inventive musicians, and the parts of keyboards (string ensemble, piano, and organ) and both of electric and semi-acoustic guitars are here as tasteful and virtuosi as those of bass and drums. Nicolas Nunez has a fantastically impressive voice, and even though all of his lyrics are in Spanish, everyone will be charmed with his passionate singing. Music's marvelous possibility to reproduce concrete emotions without a perceptible basis is presented here in all its glory. All five of the songs on the album are fantastically rich in essential progressive features and are filled with highly diverse, hard-edged and soft, arrangements, all of which, though, are dramatic in character. The music on Conoce a tus enimigos, Hormonal, and El tunel (1, 3, & 9) represents Classic Symphonic Art-Rock with the pronounced presence of elements of Prog-Metal, and both of the remaining songs: Mi hermano yo mismo and Tren en movimento (4 & 7) are about a pure Classic Symphonic Art-Rock. It is necessary to make a reservation though: please mentally put the word "unique" before any stylistic definition you see here. Although almost all of the instrumental pieces on the album are quite short in comparison with songs, the arrangements on them are for the most part in the state of constant development. The stylistics of 40 horas, Los peores ojos, and Ciego em el alma (5, 6, & 10) is Classic Symphonic Art-Rock with elements of Classical Music, though the first of them is the only instrumental piece here that was performed by the entire band. The second of the said instrumentals features the interplay between passages of a string ensemble and solos of guitar and light percussion instruments, and the latter is the 'private' department of strings. (By the way, the parts of a string ensemble play a noticeable role on most of the tracks on the album.) Finally, both Los primeros ojos and Ocaso (2 & 8) are about a real Classical Music. The first of them features the constantly developing interplay between passages of piano and synthesizer and solos of flute, and the latter the passages of strings, those of semi-acoustic guitar, and ethereal vocalizes.

Conclusion. Although Omnia have actually just started their activity, this Argentinean outfit can easily be considered one of the most inventive, professional, and greatest bands on the contemporary progressive scene. Their "Hormonal" is simply one of the best (if not the best) Symphonic Art-Rock albums released in the 2000s. The realization of great vitality of Prog is what comes to mind after hearing such a non-conformist, fresh, and genuinely inspired music as is presented on this album. Bravo Omnia! Bravo Vijaero Inmovil Records - the inexhaustible well of masterpieces!

VM: May 26, 2003