Omnigone - No Faith
Raw, passionate, and capable of reminding you of ska's past while showcasing a promising vision for tomorrow
For a brief time in the mid-90s, Bay Area ska-core band Link 80 were on the cusp of becoming one of the preeminent bands of the genre. While ska-punk was about to break into the mainstream with its blend of more accessible punk/pop with ska, ska-core eschewed the more radio-friendly tones of Less than Jake, Reel Big Fish, and the Bosstones for hardcore's more aggressive, in-your-face sound. It proved to be fertile ground as bands like Link 80, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Against All Authority, and the underrated Assorted Jellybeans showed what the less glossy side of ska-punk was like- and while bands like The Suicide Machines did break it big, Link 80 seemed to find a perfect place just below the surface. The untimely death of lead singer Nick Traina seemed to derail the band's momentum, even though they continued on to release an album without him. His enigmatic voice and personality was one of the most magnetic qualities of the band.
Omnigone, featuring former Link 80 member Adam Davis (who was part of the band's later incarnation without Traina), is a new Bay Area ska-core band that continues the legacy of Link 80; not just the band, but a genre that a generation ago, was on a meteoric rise that saw is light extinguished far too soon. Their debut album No Faith takes cues from ska-core's aggressive tone of relentless guitars and percussion work that's punctuated by equally aggressive vocals. It follows Link 80's musical lineage but doesn't shy away from ska's more traditional tones, sounding at times like Mu330 and Mustard Plug.
"BTC" is an up-tempo hardcore opener that underlines the album's urgent nature. While more traditional ska-punk sounding tunes like "Horizontal Aggression" and the horn-section backed "Stitch In Time" paints a familiar, but very welcome sound. The very two-tone "Rather Be Alone" is a fantastic moment of the album; showcasing Omnigone's multi-faceted appreciation of ska and its roots. No Faith does a great job of blending in ska's more accessible, laid back approach with hardcore's discord- exemplified in songs like "Obituary" and the title track. "Obituary" in particular, does the mixture of raw and composed really well.
What's most appealing about No Faith is perhaps the album's ability to be aggressive sounding (vocally and musically) while at the same time not sounding like it was recorded in a shack on a tape recorder. It's not overly polished sure, but its less than perfect sound means it sounds genuine and unfussed by the glossy demeanor of say, a Reel Big Fish record.
If you miss the sounds of ska-punk's more in-your-face attitude then Omnigone's debut record should be right up your alley. It's raw, passionate, and capable of reminding you of days past while showcasing a promising vision for tomorrow. What else is there to say but "pickitup, pickitup, pickitup!"
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