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Everytime I listen to an Omen album - and especially this one - I can't help but wonder why they never made it big.. The band however has a cult following, and is still active today. "Warning of Danger", their second album, was released in 1985 and I still can't believe how mature the songwriting is. This album has been stuck in my CD player for several days now and shows no sign of getting out anytime soon. :) Omen play "traditional" heavy metal (I'll drop the "traditional" monicker in the future, as it is a bit redundant) that I can't really compare to many bands of the day - at least none that comes to mind right now. "Warning of Danger" showcases quite a bit of variety, including some pretty speedy rockers, down to power ballads that'll grab your attention and won't let go. Add to that an overall epic feeling that connects all the songs together, making the album flow flawlessly from beginning to end, much so that the first thing you know is that the last song just ended but it feels like you were still at the beginning (in the good sense ;)). No fillers here whatsoever, people.

It took me a while to figure out who the vocals reminded me off, and I was surprised to make the connection to Dee Snider (that's right). Without sounding much like him, J.D. Kimball has a little raw edge to his voice that is not without reminding me of the Twisted Sister singer. That's where the comparison to TS ends, so the sorry souls who don't like them should not pass on Omen just for that reason. ;) The vocal melodies are amazingly well done and fit the musical melodies like a glove. I both like and dislike that, as a side-effect is that the vocals are always stuck in my head. :)

I could start describing every song on this album but that would be lenghty, so I'll just ramble on about my favourite one, the album closer "Hell's Gate". This one is a "semi-ballad" that features some excellent vocal melodies, mellow to aggressive, heavy guitars, and a good number of very well done tempo changes. Hmmm... OK a text description just doesn't do this song justice... This album stands out with a few others in my 80s collection and I can only strongly recommend it.

One negative point, the CD I have is a Metal Blade "Classic Series" CD and the booklet is severely lacking in details, with only a couple of band pics, line-up and credits. No lyrics and liner notes that I'd like to see in a classic re-issue. I guess the label was trying to make a quick buck here. But this doesn't take anything away from the music now, does it? Enough said. :)