Review by Sonny for Omen - Battle Cry (1984)

OK, so Omen are another band who have passed me by until now, although in their case it's not so surprising due to their power metal credentials. But this, their debut album released in 1984, is actually pretty damn good. I listened to it blind, in that I didn't know anything about it or the band going in and if you had told me they were from Croyden or Coventry I would have believed it, so pronounced is the NWOBHM influence on the sound of the album. But, guess what, they're not from London, but from Los Angeles, better known at the time for being the ground zero of the glam or hair metal scene and home to outfits like Mötley Crüe, Dokken and Quiet Riot, a scene to which I have a particular aversion.

Omen managed to rise beyond LA's neon and leather decadent superficiality and took the energy of the NWOBHM and in particular Iron Maiden's early releases and super-charged it by infusing it with speed metal's searing attacks and as such, it is to my mind at least, a solid early example of what would later become known as US power metal. The album is chock full of remarkably infectious and memorable riffs, Kenny Powell's solos tend to be short and to the point, eschewing egotistical exhibitionism and J.D. Kimball's vocals aren't at all histrionic like a lot of other PM singers of the time, but have a gruff, cigarettes and whiskey edge, kind of like Joey Belladonna crosed with Bon Scott.The lyrics and aesthetics are based around fantasy literature and movies and whilst they aren't as cheesy as some, they do occasionally cause the odd grimace, the track Be My Wench for example is particularly risible - although it's speed metal riffing is actually pretty damn good let us just say it's lyrics haven't aged well.

Battle Cry isn't anything near as OTT as I would have expected from an early USPM release, but is  solidly put together, the power behind the music being well controlled. In much the same way as obvious influence Iron Maiden, they resist the urge to overdo everything and show a little restraint, to the obvious benefit of the music. On the downside I would have to say that both sides of the album do peter out a little with each of the last two tracks on each side being somewhat less impressive than their predecessors. So despite three and a half decades of ignorance, I'm stoked that I've finally heard this as it is a great introduction to US power metal, a genre I fully intend to explore further.