Omni, Pt. 2 Explained

Omni, Pt. 2
Type:studio
Artist:Project 86
Cover:OMNI Pt. 2.jpg
Genre:Metalcore,[1] [2] djent,[3] [4] industrial metal,[5] deathcore[6]
Length:45:09
Label:Spaceuntravel
Producer:
Prev Title:Omni, Pt. 1
Prev Year:2023

Omni, Pt. 2 is the twelfth studio album by Christian rock band Project 86. It was released on January 12, 2024, and was produced by Matt Putman and Michael Palmquist.[7] It is the second part to 2023's Omni, and as such continues the new metalcore approach begun on that album.

Background

In 2021, the band announced that their next album would be their final album, along with a crowdfunding campaign with a goal of $60,000.[8] More than a year later, when their goal was met, they released the first single for Omni, "Metatropolis", on December 15, 2022.[9] The second single, "0 > 1", was accompanied by the track list and announcement that the album would be two parts.[10]

Pt. 2 was initially announced for the fall of 2023, but the first single for the album, "Ultraviolent", did not release until December 1st of that year.[11] The album was then announced to be released on March 1, 2024,[12] but was moved earlier to January 12, 2024.[13] In conjunction with the album's release, the second single "Pariah" was released with its music video.[14]

Despite Omni being originally intended as the finale of Project 86, Andrew Schwab in an interview with Heaven's Metal magazine suggested that that would not quite be the case. Explaining the initial announcement of the band's retirement, Schwab said:

Premise

Narratively, Omni, Pt. 2 is a prequel to Pt. 1, detailing the rise of Omni Corporation and its hold on the world. "The story is told through the eyes of a high-level employee of Omni," said Schwab, "the big-tech company which becomes a technocracy in 2041. It's a bit of a projection of what-if scenarios, based upon the current trajectory of AI. What would happen if the transhumanism dream became reality? What would the world look like if the virtual and physical realms completely merged? And, most importantly, what would happen if a big tech company could engineer perpetual life for all through creating a new iteration of our species?"

Critical reception

MetalSucks said of the album, "As the band devolves into synth drones and brown-note oblivion, they’ve simultaneously set listeners up to circle back and enjoy Pt. 1 all over again and ended their career on an impossibly high note. Where many of their contemporaries have either called it quits or begun to sputter, Project 86 has proven once and for all their legacy as one of the scene’s most underrated artists. Fans will certainly get the brand finally they never knew they needed, and fans of smartly written metalcore will find plenty to chew on."[15]

New Release Today did not post an official rating but praised the album nonetheless, stating that "Omni is a magnum opus of Project 86 and Andrew Schwab. It is a package for long-term fans and plenty for newer fans to love. With Parts 1 and 2, Omni will be a musical project that will echo in the minds of many fans for years to come, a showcase of musical expertise in balancing narrative, musical, and lyrical talent."[16]

Personnel

Project 86

Additional personnel

Notes and References

  1. https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/OMNIPart1.asp
  2. https://www.discogs.com/release/26571038-Project-86-OMNI-Part-1
  3. Web site: Review: Project 86- Omni, Pt. 1 .
  4. Web site: Review: Project 86 Deliver Us into a Technocratic Nightmare on Farewell Album Omni Pt. 2 . January 10, 2024 .
  5. Web site: Review: Project 86 Deliver Us into a Technocratic Nightmare on Farewell Album Omni Pt. 2 . January 10, 2024 .
  6. https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/OMNIPart1.asp
  7. Web site: Project 86 (2) – Omni. .
  8. Web site: Project 86 Crowdfunding Final Album And Farewell Shows. July 26, 2021. Theprp.com.
  9. Web site: Project 86's Metatropolis | Sputnikmusic. www.sputnikmusic.com.
  10. Web site: Project 86 Announces The Band's Final Album Will Be a Double Album. www.jesusfreakhideout.com.
  11. Web site: Project 86's Ultraviolent single | Sputnikmusic. www.sputnikmusic.com.
  12. Web site: RadioU | Project 86 tells fans the release date of "OMNI Part 2" album. radiou.com.
  13. Web site: Project 86 Tells Fans The Release Date Of "OMNI Part 2" Album. January 31, 2024.
  14. Web site: Project 86 Release New Earth Shattering Song. Brandon. J. January 14, 2024. Indie Vision Music.
  15. Web site: Heilman. Max. Metalsucks.net: Project 86 Deliver Us Into a Technocratic Nightmare on Farewell Album "OMNI, Pt. 2". January 10, 2024 .
  16. Web site: Adams. Ryan. Omni, Pt. 2 by Project 86 - CD Reviews and Information.