Another Now – OMNI

genres: metalcore + electronic

I’ve been sitting on this album for several months now, because I still don’t know quite what to make of it. Another Now aren’t doing anything that revolutionary – structurally this is pretty straightforward modern metalcore – but there’s something about it that just feels incredibly fresh. From the release of the early single “Outflow”, some of the band’s approach became clear. In many ways, it’s an updated version of electronicore greats like mid-career I See Stars, The Road to Milestone, or the criminally underrated Nevada Rose, pairing cutting edge electronica with metalcore. There’s certainly a bit more technicality, and the referenced electronic styles lean more towards vaporwave and hardstyle (“Cascade” is a great start to hear all these elements in one track) than techno or dubstep, but the blueprint is similar. Fans of Earthists. newer work will feel right at home. The other thing that really sets the band apart is just how heavy they can sound without dipping into deathcore. There’s certainly some similarities to Crystal Lake as well in both the vocals and through using major key melodies in the guitar lines to keep a strong tonal balance (“Parallax” in particular sounds like a poppier take on something like CL’s “Apollo”).

That said, there’s still quite of a bit of obvious rawness about the band. The production is somewhat muddy in the heavier moments (which is far more noticeable because of how clean the more melodic stuff sounds), and the songwriting is behind the talent level of the musicians on every level. Listening to “Laika” near the end is a great encapsulation of this, as it’s easy to see skill on the level of bands like Erra, but there’s just not enough variety in the individual songs yet. Every time I sit down with OMNI, I’ll spend the first few tracks (no matter where in the album I start) thinking “why isn’t this on my top albums of the year?”. That’s how close they are (and in a normal year it would still probably sneak into the back half of my top ten). They have a really cool sound that is both familiar and fresh, and all the talent in the world. It’s hard to really be critical as this is a debut full length and I fully expect the songwriting to develop over time, but for now this is probably an album best enjoyed by genre enthusiasts. And if you’re looking for a slight change of pace, or a shiny and spacy take on a scene that’s increasingly leaned into grittiness, this album is more than worth a listen!

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