And then there were nine. US heavy metal titans Lamb of God have triumphantly returned with a no-holds-barred, ear blasting, head banging piece of musical history. Their ninth studio album release is no more forgiving than any of their previous work. But what did we expect? This is not a band that goes quietly, nor gently into any dark night. They storm, they rage, and they are loud with a capital L.

Omens feels like a glorious celebration of all things LoG. The rage is evident in every single track, but do not let that fool you. What we are hearing is a controlled anger, perfectly channelled into methodical and masterful song writing. Not a single note or riff goes to waste here. Every element is present for a clear reason and you can feel it with each pounding beat.

Lamb of God recorded this one in the studio together, and that genuinely comes across as you listen. It is almost claustrophobic but in a delightfully intimate way. There is no barrier here. Because let’s be honest. Even if there was any kind of barrier, these guys would have destroyed it.

“Nevermore” is our introduction to this album and man, does it seize your attention. We get a delicious mix of clean and dirty vocals soaring above a groovy feel, with punishing bass lines and drum beats. Our descent into melancholic rage continues with “Vanishing” and then “To the Grave.” LoG have chosen the perfect first three openers here. They compliment each other beautifully and give us a taste of what we can expect on the album without spoiling all the surprises they have in store.

“Ditch” is a hard listen for the faint of heart, stirring, haunting and downright scary at times. “Omens” comes next, leading us straight into “Gomorrah” where we abandon all hope to the purposefully slower tempo, almost apocalyptic feel. “Ill Designs” and “Greyscale” are up next and if your mind is not yet blown by this point, it soon will be. That brain-splintering solo on “Ill Designs” is the stuff of legends.

Finally, we are brought home by “Denial Mechanism” and “September Song.” These two tracks are chalk and cheese stylistically, but they round out the album so beautifully when paired this way. 

One listen to “Omens” and even the uninitiated LoG listener will see instantly why this band has been setting the standard for heavy for decades. They are just so insanely good at what they do, there are no mistakes here. None. Flawlessly combining an element of groove metal in with their rough thrash and growling, it feels familiar and new all at once.

Check out “Omens” today on all streaming platforms!

Author: Harley Houghton

Harley Houghton is a writer and blogger, based in Melbourne, Australia. Her passions include music, especially metal, gaming and comics. Check out her blog www.harleysmadhouse.com and follow her on Twitter.