Metalcatto
Full disclosure: I’m a longtime fan of Omnium Gatherum. I’ve been following them since The Redshift and still consider New World Shadows and Beyond to be Melodic Death Metal classics. (If you haven’t listened to them yet, stop wasting your time and go fix that.) So when May the Bridges We Burn Light the Way dropped, I was all in. That said, I’m not blind to the band’s controversies — It’s always been compared, sometimes unfairly, to its peers. With OG, you never really know what you’re going to get: a genre-defining masterpiece or a divisive curveball. Either way, it’s never boring.
Despite its dramatic title, this album is easily one of OG’s most straightforward and fun releases to date. There’s no moody introspection or brooding mid-tempo experiments here — Bridges is a love letter to speed, melody, and unapologetic aggression. The band leans more toward classic ’90s In Flames energy than the melancholic touch of Insomnium, and I can’t say I’m mad about it. This isn’t an album trying to reinvent Melodic Death Metal or chase depth; it’s about sharp execution, high energy, and precision. In that sense, it feels like the logical evolution of The Burning Cold — faster, tighter, and more confident in its simplicity.
The production, as expected, is immaculate. The guitar solos soar beautifully — the kind that make you emotional for reasons you can’t fully explain — while the growled vocals retain that distinctive OG bite. Listening to it feels like binging on candy: it’s addictive, thrilling, and leaves you wondering if you’ll crash later. It’s another solid entry in OG’s catalog — flashy, melodic, and still mean as hell — even if it hints at a more stripped-down, streamlined version of their sound.
Now, for the veteran fans like me, the comparison to their older, deeper material is inevitable. The reflective, philosophical touch that made Beyond or New World Shadows so special isn’t as present here. I get it — this time, the band clearly wanted to kick down the door with riffs, not emotions. Still, a touch more atmosphere or nuance (think Be’lakor’s slow-burn layering) wouldn’t have hurt. The result is a record that’s easy to love but hard to call “new” within their own legacy.
In the end, May the Bridges We Burn Light the Way will absolutely satisfy OG’s fanbase. It may not reach the emotional or thematic heights of its earlier work, but it’s still a tightly crafted, endlessly replayable album that proves the band hasn’t lost the fire. My only real complaint? I still don’t understand the “adult-oriented Metal” marketing slogan. Who the hell wants to grow up anyway? Corporate life is hell — stay feral, be a pain to every grown-up around you!
Label: Century Media
Release date: November 7, 2025
Website: https://omniumgatherum.org/
Country: Finland
Score: 3.3/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 