Omar Bowing is a Guitarist, Guitarviolist and Songwriter currently located in Austin, Tx. His freshly released single is called “Amen” and features Tyson Yen (vocals), Tim Horsley (Drums) and Martin Motnik (Bass Guitar). The song was mixed by Charlie Kramsky and mastered by Jerry Tubb.
“Amen” takes me back about 20 years or so to the height of grunge music. While Omar Bowing’s alternative rock style is more complex than any single rock label, there has been a musical void since the grunge movement ended in the 90’s. As I listen to this track, I find it every bit as dark and brooding as the legendary music that marked that period.
The instrumentation on “Amen” is very tight. The song is driven by the three pronged attack of drums, bass, and Bowing’s GuitarViol to a pace that is moderate, and this slower tempo is what helps create the brooding vibe. Tyson Yen’s lead vocal and the cleverly layered harmonies, do the rest to forge an edgy and surreal atmosphere that is both sparse and luscious and the same time.
I found the structure of “Amen” to be very interesting as the verses are fairly slow and driven by the base line and rolling percussion while the chorus takes the tempo and texture up briefly before giving way to the verse again. The sludgy-riffs, dominant rhythm section and the haunting harmonized vocals are all in place and make for a stunning experience.
The songwriting is there and the musicianship is top-notch, as is the production. From front to back, there isn’t a bad note to be found and even the most skeptical rock fan will have to concede that Omar Bowing’s GuitarViol more than lives up to its reputation. “Amen” is a perfectly crafted track that I find myself increasingly wanting to listen to. It is more subtle and purposeful than his previous work, with the amazing harmonies and melody adding extra luster to an already gorgeous alternative rock sound. It is a mysterious and atmospheric song full of mystical lyricism and the strange and beautiful tones of guitar wizard Omar Bowing.
Between the melodic guitars, the dreamlike percussion and vocal harmonies, this song shows the band at the top of their game. Omar Bowing also whips out an awesome GuitarViol solo, which sounds great with his crushing distorted sound over the clean harmonies, percussion and bass.
“Amen” impressed me more than I ever expected. Everything I love about Omar Bowing’s previous work is here… and then some! Bowing has now added a dominant hypnotic spark to the band’s sound, while retaining the emotional power of their past recordings. As a musician I am amazed at the quality of the harmony that Bowing and singer Tyson Yen are able to accomplish in this song. Listening to this fantastic recording for the umpteenth time, made me realize that in this vast digital and sonic wastescape, there remain a few shining rock gems to hold onto. Omar Bowing’s “Amen” is indeed one of those gems.
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