Band: Old Man’s Child
Title: Slaves Of The World
Label: Century Media
Distribution: EMI
Release date: 18/05/2009
Review: CD

Thomas Rune Andersen, aka Galder (formerly also known as Grusom), the guy behind Old Man’s Child (formerly: Requiem), might also be known from his long-time collaboration with Dimmu Borgir. Besides, this person also worked together with bands as, for example, Khold, Dødheimsgard and Thundra, to name but a few. For his solo-project, he worked / works with several guest musicians, and this time the drums were recorded by Peter Wildoer from Arch Enemy / Darkane / Majestic / Pestilence / Time Requiem / Non Human Level / ...-fame. Additional info: the massive production was done by Fredrik Nordström (Fredman Studio; Zonaria, At The Gates, Opeth, In Flames, Dimmu Borgir etc.), the artwork by Gustavo Sazes (Krisiun, Firewind, God Forbid, …).
Slaves Of The World is a true Old Man’s Child-recording. The album is very varying, going for tempo, melody, atmosphere. The bombastic and harsh songs all are built upon a profound darkness, containing many tempo-changes (with a tempo continuously ranging from slow to blasting), and interspersed with both demonic and spherical grotesqueness. All individual instrumental details are well-thought, and do interact perfectly with each other: rhythm section, guitar riffs and solos, keyboard lines, growls and grunts, and so on). Like most Old Man’s Child’s recordings, especially the last ones, Slaves Of The World sounds timeless and monumental, elaborating a perfect equilibrium between heaviness and melody. Of course, evidently, my thoughts float unto Dimmu Borgir from time to time, but Old Man’s Child do never sound as an off-ripping second Dimmu Borgir – praise the Dark One for this evolution.
Slaves Of The World is a new chapter within OMC’s history, it’s a firm one, a heavy one, an intense one, which will be appreciated by almost every adept of refreshing, melodic and taking-no-prisoners Black Epic.

91/100

Ivan Tibos.