NOTHING IS ORDINARY

OMNIA OPERA were a British Psychedelic band who embraced the spirit of GONG and HAWKWIND but things weren't always rosy, as they split up a few times. During the second half of the eighties they self-released some cassettes before eventually being signed by Delerium Records to a two album deal. Those came out in the nineties, and after the second of those, their 1997 album "Red Shift", they broke up once more. But returning here 14 years later with a reunion album called "Nothing Is Ordinary" released in 2011.

They had a lot of material saved up apparently as we get 2 hours of music over two discs. This was released on Umbilical Records, and I do have those two nineties releases on Delerium and felt both were 3 star records. Delerium Records makes me smile as I can't help but think of PORCUPINE TREE beginning their careers with them. The label's name makes me picture that piano on fire falling out of the sky. As far as this comeback record goes, the first disc is probably my overall favourite of theirs, but the second disc brings this down with all that variety. The energy of HAWKWIND dominates disc one, while the second disc is all over the place, very hit and miss.

I'll mention two tracks. The opener "Destroyer Of Worlds" which sounds awesome with those menacing bass lines and pounding drums. Heavy like Post-metal this one, and my favourite. The one song from the first disc that I'm not into is "Liquid Underground" although it starts out well. And Sarah Jones from CARDIACS guests with sax on this song, but it doesn't save it. So while I feel this is the one album from this band that you need to hear, I also have a lot of mixed feelings about it. A lot of music.