Templars

***From their self-released 1993 demo tape through to the present day, the TEMPLARS have repeatedly established and re-established the high water mark for American OI! for three decades running, and 1998’s Omne Datum Optimum is a landmark record in the band’s genre-defining discography. Originally released in 1998 on Anti-Heros frontman Mark Noah’s GMM Records, the Templars somewhat controversially eschewed their signature home recording set up in favor of a professional studio on Omne Datum Optimum. Co-produced by Noah and Jeff Bakos at Bakos Amp Works in Atlanta, GA, the album’s cleaner sound proved divisive among fans at the time of its release. Luckily, time has proven the band’s intuition correct, with the record gaining a well-deserved cult status over the years. Despite the higher audio fidelity, there are no dulled edges and no pulled punches here—the Templars’ signature Street Rock n' Roll sound is fully intact and as potent as ever. As tuneful as it is hard, Omne Datum Optimum is bursting with the intricate bass melodies, soaring leads, Working Class swagger, and thoughtful songwriting that set the Templars apart from their peers. The current renewed interest in Oi! music makes a proper reissue of this 25-year-old classic a no-brainer, and the unexpected but welcome cultural cachet of the form means that it’s more likely than ever to get its proper due. With the benefit of hindsight, it’s apparent that Omne Datum Optimum is not only a great record, but arguably both one of the Templars’ best, and a defining work of the genre. Sporting reworked cover art and our tried and true attention to detail, TKO is proud to bring Omne Datum Optimum to vinyl for the first time since its initial 1998 release. Edition of 666 on black vinyl.