Review LAMB OF GOD ‘Omens’

The success story of Lamb Of God started in 1999. One year before the beginning of a new millennium, the band renamed itself and Burn The Priest became Lamb Of God. Under their new moniker, the guys released their debut album ‘New American Gospel’ 22 years ago and became the talk of the town with ‘As the Palaces Burn’. Since then Lamb Of God have been riding on a wave of success that doesn’t stop in the here and now. ‘Omens’ is the title of the tenth studio album of the guys from Richmond, Virginia and contains ten songs that are bursting with power.

Also ‘Omens’ has its origin in the boredom of a lockdown. With more time than expected and in the course of a canceled tour, Lamb Of God got to work and started writing songs for the new longplayer. The result is definitely worth listening to.

With the dark ‘Nevermore’ the quintet set a first exclamation mark. Massive, that’s how the song blasts out of the speakers and there are a few clean vocals in the middle part, which provide a slight twist. If you listen to the following ‘Vanishing’, you get the impression as if Blythe would simply shout out all the frustration caused by the pandemic. ‘Vanishing’ is a ruthless track and the same goes for the frantic ‘Denial Mechanism’. The latter song combines groove and immense speed, topped off with a furious solo. Hardcore and metal come damn close here.

As a well-set contrast, ‘September Song’ follows. This is at least valid for the calm and harmonic opening part. That the band does not remain in this melancholic basic principle is to be expected and therefore after a bit more than a minute the brute force of metal bursts through the gloomy harmony. With relentless intensity and a moderate pace, the song rolls into the mind of listeners and settles there.

‘September Song’ is the last tune on the album, which has another highlight to offer with the raging ‘Gomorrah’. The title track is a trash metal banger and welcomes headbangers with open arms. A massive pit during live shows should also break loose with the grooving ‘To the Grave’ and the fierce ‘Ditch’ should trigger similar reactions.

‘Omens’ is an album of this time. If the purpose of art is to transport emotions, then this album is a very accomplished example. Anger and resignation, despair and a spark of hope; the band has packed all this musically and lyrically into ten brute metal anthems. And eight points go to — Lamb Of God.