Omen:Code – Alpha:State (Digital/CD Album – Dependent)
Omen:Code came about somewhat by chance but quickly evolved into a new band led by Brit Kevin Gould—known to some from Electro Assassin—and singer Agi Taralas, formerly active in Our Banshee.
The duo, with its British and German roots, sounds distinctly Canadian. The atmosphere surrounding the songs inevitably recalls Skinny Puppy, and comparisons to early Front Line Assembly also come to mind. However, this is anything but a mere copycat. Omen:Code has skillfully absorbed these influences, creating a vintage EBM sound on one hand and, through numerous instrumental tracks, a Cinematic-Electro aesthetic on the other. The songs are well-crafted, enriched by an impressive array of sounds. There is depth and intelligence in the compositions and refinement in the arrangements. The vocals have a spooky quality that complements the music perfectly—though it’s a bit of a pity there aren’t more vocal tracks.
Fans of Electro Assassin will immediately recognize certain signature elements in the cover art, yet this is undeniably a brand-new project with clear potential. We’re curious to see how this duo will evolve. (Rating:8).
Listen to “Brutal + Pure”:
Read the news on ‘Alpha:State’.
About Omen:Code
Omen:Code is a London-based industrial EBM duo made up of programmer and engineer Kevin Gould and vocalist Agi Taralas. Gould has worked in UK industrial and EBM since the late 1980s, first with the trio Johnson Engineering Co. and then with Electro Assassin, which he founded in 1990 and which issued albums including “Bioculture” (1993). Taralas previously recorded with Stefan Böhm as Our Banshee, releasing “4200” in 2017.
The project began as a one-off studio idea by Gould and became an ongoing collaboration after Taralas joined. In August 2025 the duo signed a multi-album deal with Dependent Records, which issued “Alpha:State” as a digital album and a limited 48-page hardcover 2CD artbook including the bonus disc “Beta State”.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
Since you’re here …
… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can - and we refuse to add annoying advertising. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.
Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.
If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
The donations are safely powered by Paypal.
