Album Review: At The Plates – Omnivore (Self Released)

Death metal’s culinary conjurers At the Plates start the new year with a bang. Releasing their sophomore full-length album ‘Omnivore’ on January 5th, 2024.

Taking a ‘tongue in cheek’ approach by combining a love of food and a love of death metal, At the Plates make sure we all come away feeling full after consuming this new album. Featuring a belly-busting ten courses of heavy, Omnivore might be a bit silly when it comes to content and inspirations, but that doesn’t mean it should be seen as a joke.

The stove is lit and At the Plates begin things in garish, blood-thirsty, and horrific style as With Their Cutlets takes a more cannibalistic approach. The bleak riffs, eruptions of noisy speed, screeching soloing, and gleeful guttural vocals sets the bar high. Get used to the sound of grim heaviness though, as it’s par for the course on this album. Proven by the pernicious sound of Kitchen Gone and Punish My Waistline.

It’s somewhat of an epic with Terminal Filet Disease though, as At the Plates change up the formula (a bit) with its less temperamental pace, and are joined by ex-Cab Ride Home’s Danica Amore. Notably, this is a track with a message about change and how it’s never too late for anyone.

A cold piece of guitar-driven melody is the next dish that At the Plates serve up with the title track, before melody-tinged death metal carnage returns with full force on Roastwell 47. A great example of At the Plates fun side as it tells the story of a group of drunk college students who attempt to break into Roswell and are kidnapped and forced to eat extra-terrestrial cooking.

With Open Buffet Surgery, most of us can relate to the havoc that can be caused when your appetite is out of control, and At the Plates reflect that with a slice of savagery that goes hard as f**k. Especially as Slamadeus’ Ryan Wolanski joins the meal and ends up putting the listener through the table. Though, the central and more serious theme of food addiction, is not something to ignore.

Chances are, you might be feeling a bit fuller by this point but At the Plates are more than happy to force-feed you if you even attempt to throw your napkin down. First, with a riffy beast called Incarnated Syrup Abuse, the palette refreshment that is the short instrumental of Into Everlasting Fryer, and the imaginative and gargantuan finale of Northern Frites. Right up to the very end At the Plates makes sure the flavours just keep on coming.

We eating good here.

At the Plates – Omnivore Track Listing:

1. With Their Cutlets
2. Kitchen Gone
3. Punish My Waistline
4. Terminal Filet Disease
5. Omnivore
6. Roastwell 47
7. Open Buffet Surgery
8. Incarnated Syrup Abuse
9. Into Everlasting Fryer
10. Northern Frites

Links

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