Lamb of God // Omens // Album Review

Lamb of God blasted onto the scene 22 years ago with New American Gospel which was followed up by the 2003 release As The Palaces Burn. 2004 saw the release of Ashes Of The Wake and the 2006 release Sacrament saw the band make a Top 10 Billboard 200 chart debut. 2009 was the time for Wrath which took number 1 on Billboards Hard Rock, Rock and Tastemaker Chart along with numerous other international accolades which were replicated in 2012 with Resolution before VII: Sturm und Drand reached the top 5 in five countries in 2015.

After a significant line-up change, the Grammy-nominated self-titled album was released in 2020 and now the band are back with their ninth studio album and to my ears, one of their most angry releases. That may sound like a strange comment as this band isn’t exactly known for their laid-back offering, but Omens has an extra layer of purely pissed of that seems to smash through the speakers.

The 10-track album opens with the already released ‘Nevermore’ so there is no point dwelling on how good that song is, and then we get to ‘Vanishing’. The riff is low and filthy before the up-tempo assault begins with those unmistakable vocals by D. Randall Blythe.

If you haven’t picked up on the general increased anger by now, then by the time ‘Ditch’ lands, you will have. The riffs slam into your temples again and when you have managed to regain your footing, you will be smashing anything in arms reach as you try and keep up with this pace.

From start to finish, Omens is a non-stop audible assault of the highest order. For a band that has been through so much, there is no surprise that there are some emotions that are running high, but shit me, the levels of heaviness that run through this album are truly something else.

Any fan of Lamb of God will be lapping this up and those people who thought it was cool to criticise the band following the line-up change by saying that they’ll never release good music again, please enjoy that fuck off slice of humble pie.

Omens is up there with the best that this band have released, in fact this has the potential to be the best Metal album of 2022 and following a truly blistering headline slot at Bloodstock Open Air this year, the upcoming UK tour is going to destroy.

Ed Ford

Omens will be released Friday 7^th October 2022 via Nuclear Blast Records

Tracklist

Nevermore
Vanishing
To The Grave
Ditch
Omens
Gomorrah
Ill Designs
Grayscale
Denial Mechanism
September Song

The New Wave Of American Heavy Metal architects will support the new album with a massive U.S. headlining tour featuring special guests Killswitch Engage on all dates. Different legs of the tour will also see support from Baroness, Motionless In White, Spiritbox, plus Animals As Leaders as well as Suicide Silence and Fit For An Autopsy. The Omens Tour kicks off September 9 in Brooklyn, NY and runs through October 20.

Speaking about the tour, Mark Morton commented: “Two decades ago, Lamb of God, along with Killswitch Engage, were a part of a new wave of American heavy metal music. Our scene grew from a small, loosely connected network of underground shows in basements and warehouses, into a global phenomenon that helped define an entire generation of modern heavy metal. We are thrilled to announce The Omens Tour, which celebrates not only the perseverance and impact of that original movement, but also the creativity and originality of the bands that it influenced. Heavy metal is alive and well. The Omens Tour proudly showcases the depth and diversity of our scene. This is not a tour to miss.”

The Omens Tour dates across North America are as follows:

Lamb of God w/ Killswitch Engage, Motionless In White, Fit For An Autopsy

Oct 01 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Great SaltAir

Oct 02 – Grand Junction, CO – Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park

Oct 04 – Fresno, CA – Exhibit Hall at Selland Arena

Oct 07 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival *No Fit For An Autopsy

Lamb of God w/ Killswitch Engage, Spiritbox, Fit For An Autopsy

Oct 09 – Vancouver, BC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre

Oct 10 – Kent (Seattle), WA – Accesso ShoWare Center

Oct 11 – Portland, OR – Theater of the Clouds

Lamb of God w/ Killswitch Engage, Animals As Leaders, Fit For An Autopsy

Oct 13 – Inglewood, CA – YouTube Theater