Arvio

Omnia returns here, after the not that impressive Pagan Folk (2006), with stronger material than ever before. Alive! is by far the most "pop" of the band's studio albums - and also the best. The constant variance in themes that was missing before, an element crucial at least to me in good modern folklore music, is now definitely present. There's also a definite drive in all of the songs, even the slower ones. Four of the songs use quite familiar sources, yet all of them have been well adapted - and damn well made - into Omnia's own arrogant, self-satisfied style: there's Macbeth's witches in Wytches' Brew, Poe's The Raven (in the best song adaptation I've so far hear anywhere), The Elfin Lover, which is a charmingly haughty interpretation of the ballad commonly known as Scarborough Fair or The Elfin Knight, and Fairy Tale, composed on a Lewis Carroll poem.

Alive! showcases both Omnia's broad range and technical skill. It is also style-wise quite unique, and definitely sounds like the band that made it. With Omnia it is obvious that their roots are somewhere other than neofolk or more formal folklore music, and with them, this is purely a good thing. Alive! is just the sort of folk that defies categorization, being both easy to like and easy to enjoy without unnecessary genre expectations. In addition, it's extremely good. The whole package that the album is gets perfected by its beautiful covers and booklet, which have been decorated by the cult artists Alan Lee.

This is a highly recommendable purchase for fans of high-quality folk.

Jiituomas

Omnia - Alive!

Omnia palaa vaisuksi jääneen Pagan Folkin (2006) vahvemmalla materiaalilla kuin koskaan ennen. Alive! on yhtyeen studioalbumeista ylivoimaisesti popein - ja selkeästi paras. Edellisellä kerralla puuttunut teemojen jatkuva hienoinen variointi, joka ainakin minulle on keskeinen tekijä onnistuneessa uuskansanmusiikissa, on nyt selvästi mukana. Raidoissa on poikkeuksetta myös hurja määrä vetoa, silloinkin kun ollaan hitaammissa teemoissa. Mukana on neljä varsin tuttuihin lähteisiin pohjautuvaa kappaletta, kaikki Omnian omaan röyhkeän omahyväiseen tyyliin - ja hyvin - toteutettuina: Macbethin noitia lainaava Wytches' Brew, Poen The Raven (onnistuneimpana tähän asti kuulemanani sovituksena), yleensä nimillä Scarborough Fair tai The Elfin Knight tunnetun balladin ihastuttavan ylimielinen versio The Elfin Lover sekä Lewis Carrollin runoon tehty Fairy Tale.	Artisti: Omnia Formaatti: CD Levy-yhtiö: omakustanne Julkaisuvuosi: 2007 Kokonaiskesto: 41:43 Kappaleita: 9
Alive! osoittaa selkeästi niin Omnian laaja-alaisuutta kuin teknistä osaamistakin. Se on myös tyyliltään jotakin hyvin omaa, ja selvästi yhtyeen itsensä kuuloinen. Omniasta huomaa yhä selkeästi sen, että tausta on muualla kuin neofolkissa tai formaalimmassa kansanmusiikissa, ja heidän kohdallaan kyse on selkeästi hyvästä asiasta. Alive! on juuri sellainen folkin lokeroinnin ohittava teos josta on sekä helppoa pitää että jota voi arvostaa ilman turhia genren tuomia ennakko-oletuksia. Lisäksi se on lajissaan erinomainen. Paketin kruunaa erittäin kaunis kotelo, jonka upeasta kuvituksesta vastaa kulttitaiteilija Alan Lee. Erittäin suositeltava hankinta tasokkaan folkin ystäville. Jiituomas

Takaisin - Kokoelmat - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - R - S - T - U - V - W - Demot

Omnia returns here, after the not that impressive Pagan Folk (2006), with stronger material than ever before. Alive! is by far the most "pop" of the band's studio albums - and also the best. The constant variance in themes that was missing before, an element crucial at least to me in good modern folklore music, is now definitely present. There's also a definite drive in all of the songs, even the slower ones. Four of the songs use quite familiar sources, yet all of them have been well adapted - and damn well made - into Omnia's own arrogant, self-satisfied style: there's Macbeth's witches in Wytches' Brew, Poe's The Raven (in the best song adaptation I've so far hear anywhere), The Elfin Lover, which is a charmingly haughty interpretation of the ballad commonly known as Scarborough Fair or The Elfin Knight, and Fairy Tale, composed on a Lewis Carroll poem. Alive! showcases both Omnia's broad range and technical skill. It is also style-wise quite unique, and definitely sounds like the band that made it. With Omnia it is obvious that their roots are somewhere other than neofolk or more formal folklore music, and with them, this is purely a good thing. Alive! is just the sort of folk that defies categorization, being both easy to like and easy to enjoy without unnecessary genre expectations. In addition, it's extremely good. The whole package that the album is gets perfected by its beautiful covers and booklet, which have been decorated by the cult artists Alan Lee. This is a highly recommendable purchase for fans of high-quality folk. Jiituomas