Omniism

Omniism, which began life as a side project for Spools of Dark Thread frontman Chris Thomas, is blossoming into an impressive modern-rock powerhouse. A Turn for the Worst, the band’s new four-song EP, finds Omniism (due this Saturday at Herman’s Hideaway, with Lola Black, Horse and No 1 Left Standing) deftly melding anthemic choruses with fleet-fingered fretwork (metalcore-style rhythms and guitar-hero leads) and meticulous drumming for a polished alloy of adrenalized hard rock. The musicianship is exceptional throughout, as are the vocals. The otherwise laudable record is occasionally undermined by painfully inane lyrics like “The weather gets warm/The girls wear less/I’m just a man, so I have to confess/You’re dressing sleazy for all the guys/This isn’t easy, ’cause I’ve got wandering eyes,” from “Wandering Eyes,” which sports an intro that you’d swear was NIN, if you didn’t know better. The title, A Turn for the Worst, is a misnomer if ever there was one.