Omen Negation Omen Negation demo cassette
OMEN NEGATION is a three-piece punk band from Portland, Maine. It’s a long trip from one Portland to the other, where their significant WIPERS influence comes from. This tape certainly has plenty of driving guitar riffs in that style, but somewhere along the cross-country trek, it seems to have picked up a hitchhiker, adding a touch of early 2000s folk-inspired indie rock/pop punk to the mix. That aspect is mostly noticeable in the singing. Vocals feel intentionally off-time, with the singer attempting a kooky, off-kilter style, reminiscent of the HOLD STEADY and similar indie rock acts. Backing vocals pepper the tape with strained, yelling harmonies, which are probably the clearest nod to that 2000s folk-leaning pop punk sound. An eight-track demo, recorded very crisp, clear, and professionally. Some of the guitar licks are real head-bobbers, but the vocal delivery leaves the songs feeling like head-scratchers.