With their djent-powered new single 'Phat Mackerel', Melbourne prog-rock trio The Omnific continue their reign as the unexpected heroes of the Australian metal scene.
'Phat Mackerel' is the first new music from the virtuoso powerhouse since their debut album 'Escapades' in 2021."That's a very personal song for me because it's a spoonerism on my first and last name, I just flipped the letters," co-bassist Matt Fack (Fackrell) explains.
"It's always been said jokingly to me at work and school, and I've always taken it very positively because it's hilarious. I got up to writing this song and was like: 'that is the song name, it just is and it's not changing.'"
The new single heralds the next chapter for The Omnific as they embark on their first foray into new territory, opening for fellow Melburnian metal lords Ne Obliviscaris on their upcoming US tour.
"We've been a band coming up to eight years now and the US as continent is one we've always seen having a large capacity of our fanbase, be that YouTube statistics, Spotify statistics, comments on Instagram and Facebook et cetera, all that stuff," Matt says.
"We always knew we wanted to go there but we never knew when that would be and when we finally got an offer, it was like: 'Wow, this is now a reality,' whereas before it was a dream. I'm kind of speechless about it to be honest, I can't wait for it. It's a dream come true."
Opening for Ne Obliviscaris in the US is another huge step for The Omnific, who have already paved impressive new ground with their unique format – Matt trading lead melodies with co-bassist Toby Peterson-Stewart, backed by drummer Jerome Lematua.
"It feels like, without knowing it, we've been working towards it since the start of the band's career. It feels like it's that next level, which is awesome," Matt says. "We're always striving to not just do better things but be better as musicians as well."
The Omnific and Ne Obliviscaris have a shared history dating back to circa 2018 when they first performed as an opening act for Ne O. "We'd been a band for like a year and a half at best and we're opening for them on a 1,000-capacity venue," Matt recalls.
"Doing that when we'd just started was a big step for us as well and they're a part of our history. Now, fast-forward to 2023 and we're playing with them again but on a much bigger stage and we're doing a whole run with them.
"When it comes to the shows we've played together, they've definitely opened a few doors for us. It's a nice circle back."
The Omnific take 'Phat Mackerel' as well as some new music on an expansive tour over the next few months, kicking off with Australian shows in September and showcases at BIGSOUND 2023, followed by Europe and the UK before they hit the road with Ne Obliviscaris in the US.
Speaking of new music, Matt says The Omnific have finished work on their sophomore album, which is slated for release next year and sees the band further expanding their musicality.
"Early to mid-next year we'll have a full-length coming, it's all written and ready to go," he says. "We're very proud of what we've created, and we think there's some new depths we've tried to explore while keeping the roots of The Omnific as well."
The Omnific 2023 Tour Dates
Fri 1 Sep - Northcote Social Club (Melbourne)Sat 2 Sep - Metro Social (Sydney)
Sun 3 Sep - The Brightside (Brisbane)
Tue 5 Sep - BIGSOUND @ SuperFly Studios (Brisbane)
Thu 7 Sep - BIGSOUND @ The Zoo (Brisbane)
