Omission / Comrade Kilkin

Split (2005)

Jordan Rogowski

An interesting split by way of Michigan natives Omission and Comrade Kilkin. Half mid-`90s skatepunk, half sludge metal, these six songs provide a little bit for everybody.

Omission are up first with their rip-roaring skatepunk, channeling mid-`90s Propagandhi in their guitar-driven attacks. "If You Could See Me Now" wastes no time pumping out some wicked lead guitar, with drums crashing behind; the speedy riffing sets the stage well for the band's intense vocal front. Without any sort of screaming, the singer is able to deliver plenty of passion and intensity behind his words, although it's still the guitar work that steals the show. "A Communique to a Scene Disconnected" cools it on the lightning quick riffs, and opts instead for some hard-hitting riffs and frequent gang vocals. The back and forth rhythms run their course until about halfway through, where the lead guitar comes through to shred once again.

In a complete 180, Comrade Kilkin pulverize their way into the split with raspy vocals and thunderous riffs.

A much more explosive band, Kilkin take their heavy Isis influence and add a bit more speed and ferocity to it. The heavy, droning riffs and commanding vocals are still more than present, but in many instances the band breaks away from that norm and adds a bit of bite to their music. They're far less instrumentally driven than Isis, and thus can change their sound up a bit to accommodate for that. "All Cretes Are Liars" wastes no time with some quick, heavy riffing, but slows down to a more sludgy pace, while their vocalist scrapes and claws his way to the top of the music. The extended instrumental passage about halfway through lulls into a false sense of security, because the band snaps, coming back even more ferociously than before.

Despite the band's stark contrast, they work fluidly together to make an enjoyable split for fans of either genre.