Omen is one of those 80s Power Metal bands, one of the few that is rightfully called Power Metal as well. Though I am not sure how many albums Omen released, I have 2 and “Battle Cry” is the better of the 2.

Listening to this album, one would immediately realize that it sounds different then many of the bands called Power Metal, this is due to the fact that bands like Helloween, Hammerfall and Edguy are not Power Metal. Before you press the back button on the browser because you think I’m a closed minded jerk, realize that I like Helloween, Hammerfall etc., but they do not belong in the Power Metal label.

“Battle Cry” kicks off with the track “Deathrider”, which immediately grabs the listener with both power and aggression at the same time. Vocals on this album are good, and very fitting to the music. The guitar sound is a tad thin, but playing is very good. All the riffs on the album are very good and solos are tasteful for this genre of Metal. Overall production on the album is not great, but I generally don’t dock a band for production. Every single song on this album is good, but the title track is an all time classic. “In the Arena” is pretty cheesy, but nevertheless good.

“Battle Cry” is a classic that stands the test of time, and a true look at Power Metal. Fans of only extreme forms of Metal should approach this album with caution, perhaps downloading a few MP3s first, but fans of Metal in every form, like myself, should pick this one up right away.

© 2001 ramrod