Melbourne's Orpheus Omega have given us a new EP in ‘Portraits’ and boy did they all sharpen their tools before going into the studio for this one! They have trully excelled themselves by turning it up a notch in all aspects of the game. From the riffery, to the vocals, to the shreddery, to the songwriting and production, in what I would say is their peak release to date.

In an interesting and unique concept 'Portaits' is a 5-track EP with every member contributing one song each on a personal level & their story so far. Also interesting is the EP is littered with guest appearances Andy Gillion (Ex-Mors Principium Est), Bjorn ‘Speed’ Strid (Soilwork), Jukka Pelkonen and Markus Vanhala (Omnium Gatherum) and Jim Grey (Caligula’s Horse). Guests spots can always be hit and miss, but each here has added their own flavour to these songs and it all works so well.

Orpheus Omega have kept their melodic death metal roots, but have definitely explored a more 'modern' sound with some slight 'core' elements in making huge clean vocal segments building up to catchy as hell singalong choruses. Unlike some acts who have tried such paths but fail miserably due to their inability to actually sing, Orpheus Omega have nailed it. And I wouldn't say these evolvements have made the band any 'softer' as there is still a barrage of heavy as fuck riffery & enough doses of blast beats to keep this to a melodic death heavy standard. It's just layered with a bunch of outstanding dynamics.

Highlight tracks are the catchy as all hell 'Within In These Walls', some neo classical thrashiness in 'The Prophecy' and the final slab of groove and brutality in 'Exist To Observe'.

Any fan of melodic metal and melodic death metal should without a doubt be grabbing this and after this release you could safely say Orpheus Omega are Australia's standout band of the genres.

There really isn't much to fault in this EP & now the benchmark has been set, it will be killer to hear what the band can deliver on the next full length!

Gary Goat 9/10