ALBUM REVIEW
VIOLENT OMEN - Locomotive of Chaos
Technical complexity collides with thrash aggression.
The thirteen-year silence following VIOLENT OMEN’s 2013 album "L.U.N.A.C.Y." sets high expectations for "Locomotive of Chaos." With Serg MP handling vocals and bass, Evgeniy Maestro on guitar and Yuriy Sinitsky behind the drums, the trio takes the technical thrash approach it shaped in the past to a sharper, more dynamic and more advanced level today.
The first element defining the album’s character is that its technicality is never used for showmanship. As Maestro’s guitars move through constantly shifting riffs, sudden breaks and complex transitions, the fundamental aggression of the songs remains intact. Even at high speed, "Killdozer Rampage" maintains a sense of songwriting rather than reducing its riffs to mere displays of virtuosity. "The 24 Faces of Lunacy," meanwhile, builds around a more pronounced Atheist influence, putting speed and rhythmic movement at the forefront.
What makes VIOLENT OMEN’s technical approach interesting is the way it reaches toward more complex traditions represented by Death, Atheist, Sadus and Coroner without abandoning its thrash roots. "Shared Sky" is one of the album’s key tracks in this regard; its more controlled rhythmic structure, sense of groove and mathematical twists leave room for melodic ideas to breathe. "Path of Illumination," meanwhile, moves out of a more atmospheric introduction and sets melodic guitar work against aggressive rhythms. On "Unit 731" and "Telling Lies," VIOLENT OMEN sounds denser, with more frequent tempo changes and a heavier technical workload.
MP’s vocals do not seek an overly theatrical character above these complex arrangements. The high-pitched bursts woven into his deeper, harsher delivery heighten the tension of the songs, particularly amid the dense instrumentation. The bass is likewise more than a supporting element beneath the guitars; it functions as an active layer that accentuates the movement of the music, especially during the faster sections. Sinitsky’s drumming serves the same purpose, pushing the riffs’ constantly shifting structures forward rather than simply showcasing complexity.
At the same time, "Locomotive of Chaos" does not consciously abandon melodic memorability altogether. The presence of distinct melodic ideas alongside Maestro’s technical skill in the solo sections makes even the album’s most intense moments easier to follow. Still, the sheer number of rhythmic turns and the high technical density of some tracks leave catchy choruses or recurring hooks in the background. That is precisely why "Shared Sky" sticks in the mind more quickly than the other songs.
Rather than simply repeating VIOLENT OMEN’s old formula, "Locomotive of Chaos" tightens up the fundamental elements of the band’s technical thrash approach. What emerges after thirteen years is not a nostalgia-driven return, but an album that seeks to hold thrash aggression and progressive, technically minded songwriting within the same framework—dense, yet never losing its musical control.
