Band:	Steel Prophet
Album:	Omniscient
Style:	US power metal
Release date:	July 04, 2014
A review by:	Mattybu

01. Trickery Of The Scourge
02. When I Remake The World (A Key Flaw)
03. 911
04. Chariots Of The Gods
05. Tree Of Knowledge
06. 666 Is Everywhere (The Heavy Metal Blues)
07. Oleander Deux
08. Aliens, Spaceships And Richard M. Nixon
09. Through Time And Space
10. Funeral For Art
11. Call Of Katahdin
12. Transformation Staircase
13. Bohemian Rhapsody [Queen cover]
14. 1984 (George Orwell Is Rolling In His Grave)

Just look at the album artwork for Steel Prophet's Omniscient. Skulls, guns, and the word "steel" in the band name. It's nothing too surprising, as far as metal goes. In a lot of ways, the cover is sort of like the music itself.

Hearing that and looking at the genre (power metal) will probably be enough to turn lots of people away. This is certainly not a groundbreaking or particularly unique album. That doesn't stop it from being enjoyable though - it's got enough of the melody that drives power metal forward, a good, general pace to the music, and some guitar riffs and solos that range from serviceable to very enjoyable. In the same way the album artwork contains lots of predictable and familiar things that most metal listeners have seen already, the music contains a lot of familiar elements. Which means it probably won't be a mindblowing album for many people, but it's still crafted well.

So, appreciation for this album will basically lie in what the listener looks for in their metal. It isn't experimental, distinctive, or fresh. However, if you're like me and enjoy the basic foundation of metal, it's a pretty good album. The songs are written well and don't tend to get boring, the performances are solid all around, and occasionally (especially in some of the guitar solos) there are awesome moments that make it worth hearing.

Omniscient isn't the kind of album I'd expect someone to be compelled to listen to a hundred times over, even for someone who is a fan of power metal. That being said, for fans of the genre, or people who appreciate some of the simple joys of listening to metal, it's worth giving a shot.