J-Man Omision has been around since 1993, but it hasn't been until 2011 that the band would release their debut full-length effort. In the Shadow of the Cross is also the band's first effort for Chaos Records, a solid label that specializes primarily on extreme metal bands from Mexico. Omision is a good addition to the label's roster for sure, seeing that they play old school death/thrash in the style that Mexico is best known for. Omision may not be breaking too much ground with this debut, but it's clear that they know the style, and they know it quite well.

In the Shadow of the Cross is an absolutely filthy old school death metal album with plenty of influences from the American scene (Morbid Angel, Deicide) and Swedish scene (Entombed, Grave). Omision's style certainly has been done plenty of times over the last twenty years, but the sheer intensity of the music is enough to compensate for that. This album is filled with brutal riffs, spectacular drumming, raw vocals, and enough headbanging sections to keep any metalhead satisfied for multiple listens. The lyrics fall into the blasphemous/anti-Christian category; it's another thing that's certainly been done plenty of times before in death metal, but they're well-written and cohesive regardless of any clichés. A major asset for most listeners here will probably be the raw and unpolished production. The sound here is absolutely filthy (though not unprofessional at all) and sets an extremely dark tone to the heavy riffs that dominate the album's duration.

Though In the Shadow of the Cross is far from a groundbreaking and essential masterpiece, it's a good listen that all fans of Mexican death metal should further investigate. I've had a pretty great time listening to the album recently, so a 3 - 3.5 star rating is deserved. If Omision can develop a slightly more unique sound I can see them becoming major players in the Mexican extreme metal world.

Vehemency If we were to categorize countries to specific metal genres, I would put Mexico to death metal without a moment’s hesitation. That promising and blossoming has been the country’s output for a long time already, and Omision’s In the Shadow of the Cross is another addition to Mexico’s long list of old school death metal albums.

And while it doesn’t offer anything new and truly exciting (no surprise there), Omision’s debut effort is among the better albums in the field of 90s death metal, luckily not only dwelling in the Swedish inlfuences, but more prominently in suchs bands as Deicide and Incantation. The theme of anti-Christiany is fittingly carried through these savage compositions that relent only on the acoustic outro ”For Those Far Away”. Before that the listener faces ten tracks of morbid death executed with down-tuned riffs, grunted vocals and great drumwork.

The production deserves a mention here too, as it successfully evokes an atmosphere of utter darkness and evil without any overcompression. The sound is very natural and perhaps slightly low-fi for someone’s ears. The best moments of the album reside in the string of two tracks, ”Assault in the Vatican” and ”Beyond the Burning Gates”, of which the former convinces with its slow menace and the latter with its with pummelling drums and overall kick-ass riffage.

What comes to memorable compositions, after the two aforementioned songs there’s a slight downhill. As a supporter of short albums, I would have probably omitted a track or two from this whole, but I am not bored at any point anyways. Those more deeply into all kinds of old school death metal will find even more to enjoy from In the Shadow of the Cross, of that I’m sure. Do not touch this one if you’re only into the most modern and fastest extreme metals out there.