Release date: 13th January 2023
It’s always a good day when you get new music from the mighty Turmion Kätilöt and their tenth album entitled Omen X could well be their finest album to date.
You can’t help but feel pumped when listening to this band; their music has an intense energy to it and it’s part of the reason why their live shows hit so hard. Opening track Totuus is a good example of this and is surely going to serve them well as a set-opener. I honestly wasn’t sure they could surpass Naitu from their previous album for the title of ‘best song to come onstage to’ but the more I’ve listened to Totuus, the more I feel they may have actually surpassed it – but I’m sure I’ll be able to make up my mind at their upcoming album launch gig in Helsinki.
Another highlight is sixth track Verestä Sokea. Heavy and melodic at the same time, the guitar line feels like a punch in the face whilst the synths add an almost-softer vibe to the song, with the two elements coming together to create a triumphantly mighty track that you’ll keep wanting to return to.
Interestingly, for the first time since 2011’s Perstechnique, the album doesn’t end with “to be contiuned part 6”, and instead the band choose to wind things up with Kuolettavia Vammoja. One of my personal favourites of the album, it’s definitely one of the more melodic tracks and its softer approach with interjections of crushingly heavy moments is absolutely stunning. Additionally, the video for it, which follows on from the one accompanying their earlier single Isä Meidän, is well worth a watch to truly appreciate the song.
In all honesty, however, one of the best things about Omen X is that Turmion Kätilöt just keep blasting hit after hit out – there’s no filler on this album and each track adds something distinct to the piece. After listening extensively to this album over the past few weeks, there still isn’t a single song I want to skip by – each song is utterly fantastic and this could well be Turmion Kätilöt’s best album yet. Now bring on the album launch show in Helsinki!
