EYES OF THE ORACLE

POWER OF OMENS are led by vocalist Chris Salinas, and this four piece is from Texas. They formed in 1994 and this is their debut from 1998. They would release one more album in 2002 before calling it a day. That is when vocalist Chris Salinas joined ZERO HOUR, another similar band with the focus on complexity and emotive vocals. And it was when I heard "Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond" by ZERO HOUR with this new singer Chris Salinas that I had to track down POWER OF OMENS his previous band. This guy can sing!

It's hard to believe I reviewed PoO's second release "Rooms Of Anguish" over 18 years ago on here. It took many more years before I found their debut that I'm reviewing today called "Eyes Of The Oracle". Both of their albums are massive at over 72 minutes each. Chris has a voice that is like a cross between Geoff Tate and Ray Adler. "Perfect Symmetry" isn't a bad reference actually crossed with "Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond".

Chris would sing on one more ZERO HOUR release called "Dark Deceiver" which might be his best vocal performance on an album. I find "Eyes Of The Oracle" to be a fascinating listen because I don't hear a lot of guitar solos, and the drums seem to be doing their own thing most of the time. The bass kills on here. By the way the album was dedicated to the drummer's father who had recently passed. We do get some keyboards but the dominant sound is the voice of Chris Salinas. They do mix it up with some mellow pieces and even a Spanish vibe on the closer. But man they can get heavy and complex. There is a huge 20 minute track called "Test Of Wills" on here.

I do prefer the followup "Rooms Of Anguish" but I have to go 4 stars here despite it's length and the over-use of Chris' voice.

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