I've been familiar with Omnium Gatherum for a while now and I always keep abreast of Finnish Metal. In my opinion, they've just been merely okay. Their releases, while not lackluster by any means, are in the same category as Children of Bodom, Insomnium, and Norther (as well as others). It is that thrashier death metal with proggy keyboards.

"Stuck on Snakes Way" is not that dissimiliar to many of its contemporaries. The musicianship is top notch, as one would expect with a Finnish band. It is very aggressive and very tight. The guitars are a very good mix of churning razor sharp. Unfortunately, all the good qualities that Omnium Gatherum has, others have done before. When you first start to listen to the album, it is hard to perceive any element of originality. OK, originality is not the appropriate word. Distinctiveness is the right word. Omnium Gatherum is quite original, especially in their delivery but their distinctiveness is ruined by the other Finnish bands that have a similar style and sound.

I am slightly disappointed, though. With so many bands sounding a like, I would wonder why Omnium Gatherum didn't attempt to distinguish themselves more from their peers? I see (or hear) the potential for them to do so. "Stuck on Snakes Way" is their third album and yet OG has not attempted to break away from the pack. Or at least, not completely.

Actually, half way through the album, on the song 'The Third Flame' OG begin incorporate a Meshuggah-like chop to their rhythm. This song demonstrates what OG could truly do to keep from being compared to the usual peers (which I have already done). 'Just Signs' is another track that yields a distinctive flavor to their sound. It has a certain feel of melancholy that just about all Finnish bands carry but OG's take on it is quite good. This followed by 'Truth', which is another destructive little ditty. As if this wasn't enough, 'Drudgery' seeks to stomp the little bits left after the others are don with the listener. Basically, the songs on the second half of the album really point to what OG can deliver to stand above its peers.

I realize its hard for a band to demonstrate some change in their formula because the fanbase uproar may be too great but OG have a lot of potential to establish themselves as a front runner. Let's hope they do it soon…