Sharing a name with the new Covid-19 variant has given death metallers Omicron a new lease of life

(Image credit: Omicron Facebook)

The expression ‘every cloud has a silver lining’ has taken on a new resonance for Belgian death metal quartet Omicron, who have experienced a surge of interest in their band since the World Health Organisation chose to use the same name, the fifteenth letter in the Greek alphabet, to identify the latest variant of Covid-19.

As scientists in the UK suggest that the Omicron variant is more transmissible than the Delta variant, Omicron the band have found their own name spreading fast online.

“We were a bit anxious that our name might get a negative connotation,” the quartet admit. “But we also felt it might give us the exposure much needed for bands [starting out] in a world overcrowded with musicians trying to leave their mark upon the industry.”

“Having the same name as the new coronavirus variant feels like an extra responsibility we have to carry. We are still going to tread carefully here because we do not want the world to think that we are thriving on other people’s suffering.”

The band have rebuffed all suggestions that they might wish to reconsider their name in the light of this troubling new development in the spread of the pandemic.

“[Are] we planning to change our name?,” they consider in a new interview with Vice. “Hell no. We will not let a virus determine the way our concept should be perceived.”

“We hope that people looking up Omicron might stumble upon us and find a much needed outlet in our music.”

Even Omicron are not immune to the damaging fall-out of the pandemic, however: newly-created logistical problems mean the quartet have been forced to delay the release of their debut album Entropic Entity, which they tell Vice is a concept album that “plays with the idea of an alien invasion and the insignificance of the human race.” News of a potential release date for the album has yet to emerge.

“We want to express again our support for all the victims, the people working in the medical sector and all the sacrifices everyone continuously makes to battle this virus,” the band say. “Stay safe everybody!”

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.