Ufomammut
ORO: Opus Alter


4.5
superb

Review

by ManaYoodSushai USER (9 Reviews)
December 24th, 2012 | 21 replies


Release Date: 2012 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Atmospheric space doomsters make a universe of their own...

Italian sludge monsters Ufommamut continue to test the limitations of reality’s walls with their 7th immensely heavy full length “Oro: Opus Alter” which follows on from their previous effort earlier in the year, the mighty “Oro: Opus Primum”.


“Oro: Opus Alter” is the final second part of the “Oro” saga, so therefore shows similarities with the first part as shown by the uses of repeated riffs and sound effects from “Opus Primum”. Although a recipe for a boring disaster, Ufomammut manage to pull it off because they don’t overuse them, and also because the sounds and riffs they create are almost always completely mesmerizing. Collectively, all the songs maintain a rich and dense atmosphere with their uses of several weird and (fittingly) spacey noises which include the traditional robotic blips, eerie robotic voices, faint guitars, guitar feedback and their appropriate use of weird movie quotes, which quite often initiate a progression in the musical movement and suit the mood they create perfectly. On “Sulphurdew” the intro is one of serene beauty, made up of soaring electronic strings. Also the track “Sublime” fittingly describes its haunting outro. These atmospheric intros and outros are thematic through the whole album on each song, as is the impending pummelling riff that succeeds and precedes them.
Those riffs.


It is clear Ufomammut have gone down to the interplanetary forge to craft some of the most elephantine and colossal riffs ever constructed. The shock I received from final track “Deityrant” when its rumbling riff tore through my ears, galloping alongside the, thick, crash symbol heavy drums for its first second made me literally jump out of my seat. Then it made me bang my ***ing head. Ufomammut’s powerful riffage is simple yet effective. This was the only case of a riff sneaking up on me because all the songs traditionally have a build-up that gets more intense as more layers are added on to it. For example, on the first track “Orobus”, the bass line kicks in, then the drums, and then the riff comes in and gradually gets heavier until it explodes into a glorious and all-encompassing distortion. Also, the ambience of their quite passages mixes in with their heavier parts, combining to make a psychedelic soundscape Hawkwind would have been proud of. The track “Luxon” is primarily made up of one note relentlessly strummed over and over again, but the variations of the twisted electronic sound effects keeps it interesting and listenable.


This album, which is effectively a whole song, puts the listener into a trance they can’t escape from, and why would you? The universe Ufomammut create is a mysterious and memorable one, its atmosphere and cyclopean riffs envelop the whole album as well as the previous album, “Oro: Opus Primum”. The completion of this duality with “Oro: Opus Alter” has firmly planted Ufomammut as space doom pioneers. Epic, intergalactic fun.



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Comments:Add a Comment 
GiaNXGX
December 24th 2012


5475 Comments


can't stand this band.

Relinquished
December 24th 2012


49024 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

why not

alachlahol
December 24th 2012


7593 Comments


what is a cyclopean riff

GiaNXGX
December 24th 2012


5475 Comments


what is a cyclopean riff[2] thesaurus.com (I want to be creative!)

alachlahol
December 24th 2012


7593 Comments


you cant hate this band. this oro series is pretty mediocre by ufo standards but its better than 99% of the other psych stoner combo metal bands out there

GiaNXGX
December 24th 2012


5475 Comments


i've only listened to oro series, they both were mediocre at best. Kinda expected everything else they
did to follow suit so I automatically said 'hmm, band sucks.' Thanks for reminding me to listen to Eve
pss. Hey alach, do you want to check out a rip'n crust 7''

Relinquished
December 24th 2012


49024 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

snailking is also great shit so check that out too

GiaNXGX
December 24th 2012


5475 Comments


okay, thanks, will dl later.

ManaYoodSushai
December 24th 2012


90 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

cyclopean riff is just a big fat huge riff.

eternium
December 24th 2012


16358 Comments


I need to finally listen to this. Opus Primum ruled.

ManaYoodSushai
December 24th 2012


90 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

In my opinion the Oro series is way above mediocre - i just love the atmosphere and the pummeling riffs

Ignimbrite
December 24th 2012


6904 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I liked Primum more. It had a lot of atmosphere, and this is good but it trades a lot of that atmosphere for heaviness.

eternium
December 24th 2012


16358 Comments


Sounds good to me.

Inveigh
December 25th 2012


26902 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah the three before the Pro series were better but these are pretty good too

Polyethylene
December 29th 2012


4677 Comments


Band is fucking phenomenal. Snailking and Eve are both 5s

ManaYoodSushai
December 29th 2012


90 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Ive never checked out snailking, should probably

Polyethylene
December 29th 2012


4677 Comments


The Opus series is the only one I haven't heard in full, Snailking is a masterpiece (I like Eve more though).

RogueNine
June 3rd 2016


5693 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Those. RIFFS.

Deathconscious
May 26th 2017


27507 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

is this one better than Primum? because that one was ok but underwhelming for me.

y87arrow
November 30th 2019


717 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I find this better than Primum, but I LOVE the song Aureum on it because it really rules.



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