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Steel Prophet: Omniscient
Steel Prophet Omniscient CD Album Review

Steel Prophet: Omniscient

Progressive Power Metal
4.0/5.0

While largely active and prolific over ten years in the late 90's and early 2000's, Steel Prophet has been silent in the studio for nearly ten years. But in the last several years, guitarist and founding member Steve Kachinsky got the band back together for the recording of Omniscient.

Steel Prophet Omniscient Band Photo

Steel Prophet: go nuts.

Kachinsky is calling this a concept album, although I have yet to find, in my research, what that concept is. Yet investigating song titles like When I Remake the World or Aliens, Spaceships and Richard Nixon and then consider his penchant for quirky ideas and philosophies, I'd say the concept revolves around some cryptic sci-fi notion.

The music, on the other hand, is not that mysterious. You have Steel Prophet delivering their mash up of NWoBHM, American power metal, and a touch of progressive metal. The album is measured largely by the abundance of riffage, supplied by twin guitars, that swell most every song. After this, the power metal speed kicks in, with galloping bass and drums hurtling and hurling those riffs in your face. Of course, Kachinsky goes ape shit crazy with feisty leads throughout.

Some of the technicality, yet not weirdly so, for prog metal comes from those solos, but also from switching mixtures of tempo and time signature. Good examples where all these elements work well include Trickery of the Scourge, The Tree of Knowledge, and Through Time and Space. Kachinsky has never been without his humorous side. This comes through in 666 is Everywhere (The Heavy Metal Blues), where he quips, or laments, when being in or playing 'metal,' 666 seems to be everywhere in the genre. Musically, the song is one of the best ones here, delivering the old school melodic heavy metal sound infused with a quick rock groove. Finally, for better or worse, Steel Prophet records a cover of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, something they debuted at last year's Keep It True festival. The obvious question is, why? It's alright, but will never reach the operatic pomp of the original.

Fundamentally, I think you'll find that Omniscient simply sounds like classic heavy metal, well composed and played, only with a little more intrigue in their arrangements. Recommended.


Steel Prophet - Tree of Knowledge (Official Video)




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In Short

Steel Prophet's Omniscient simply sounds like classic heavy metal, well composed and played, with a little more intrigue in their arrangements. Recommended.

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