Review by Felix on July 6, 2022.

Despite the rising of the thrash metal scene, my metal buddy and me did not really think about sub genres. The situation was very simple. Here were the good ones like us (the thrashers), there were the pepped up assholes called posers. Omen belonged to the first group. Of course, we realized that they were less aggressive than true thrash metal bands like Exodus or Slayer. Honestly speaking, the band played power metal with some small thrash influences. Yet their sound left an authentic impression and avoided any kind of ridiculous knickknack. Omen were heavy, inspired, sometimes slightly melancholic and they had an own identity. Their mix of almost cosy yet heavily pounding numbers like "Don't Fear the Night" and more rapid pieces which were in particular represented by "Termination" resulted in a strong album. One of its most amazing features was its maturity. Omen did not try to score with cheap shock effects or something like that. They stood proud under the banner of true metal without making stupid grimaces.

This does not mean that they avoided any kind of metal clichés. A text line like "March on metal warriors" did not reveal the highest art of poetry. But Omen did not really need these striking elements. Better still, J.D. Kimball (R.I.P.) had the gift to offer even tacky lines in a dignified manner. His brilliant voice had a natural seriousness. He was really a singer in its literal meaning and his mature approach constituted an important element of "Warning of Danger". Not to mention the fact that his style went hand in hand with the warm, likewise serious and natural production.

Apart from a few lyrics, the band was not at risk to drown in the swamp of metal stereotypes. Instead, already the opening title track indicated Omen's independence. It began with an almost discreet part, before the song transformed into a melodic number whose rhythm was located in the middle of mid-tempo and up-tempo. This was remarkable, because a lot of fairly comparable bands followed the trend to start their albums with the most rapid piece. (Incidentally, the only formation that was successful with this approach were the hyped guys with the garrulous Danish drummer who actually wanted to become a tennis star. Strange story!) Omen did not give a damn about contemporary conventions. It is therefore a fact that "Warning of Danger" presents a timeless work. It cannot hide the fact that it was born in the eighties, but it does not show any signs of deterioration. What makes thing even better is that the album failed to deliver a filler. All songs reached a solid level and, of course, some of them stood out.

The aforementioned title track was a very representative piece, because it built on the mix of melodic guitars and an appropriately heavy riffing. The desperate longing of J.D. Kimball, especially during the complaining chorus, the dragging rhythm and the woeful guitar lines ennobled "Make Me Your King". "Red Horizon" followed a quicker approach and its chorus was also convincing. But however, the best tracks were "Don't Fear the Night" with its irresistible drive and, with regard to its unleashed power, "Termination". Well, at the end of this song, a "robot" constantly repeated "Terminate" and he sounded rather like a frog. But this more or less funny detail did not cause any damage. Contrariwise, the somewhat unobtrusive instrumental at the end of the A side was upstaged by the other tracks.

The verbal fights between posers and thrashers are a thing of the past. Aside from resentful geezers like me, nobody misses this foolish conflict. Anyway, one thing is certain. Omen, at least in the condition that was shown on "Warning of Danger", belong to the good ones. Power metal maniacs may add ten percentage points.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10