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LAMB OF GOD
Omens
2022, Epic

Say what you want, but be honest: LAMB OF GOD have written some of the best metal of the last 20 some years and without them, a lot of us would not still be here. I remember when New American Gospel came out, and the first time I heard it. Take the piss out of ‘em all you like for being samey, or whatever the insult du jour may be but the fact of the matter is, much like your favourite -core/death/whatever band, LAMB OF GOD is extremely consistent and reliable. So what, then, of things to come? Because I haven’t seriously listened to the band in about 6 years, and even then, go to their earlier work most often.

That last sentence is important because it touches on a subject I have spoken to before - sometimes a band just drifts away for whatever reason, so as fans we go back to what we like and avoid what we don’t. Simply, Omens could fit in that spot between Sacrament and Wrath. It is absolutely huge, so unbelievably grand and grandiose without suffering bloat. Randy Blythe sounds genuinely hungry for the first time in a long time and the NWOAHM riff machine of Morton and Adler is in fine form. Man, I really have to practice my arms crossed surly face look - because this album is just that much fun.

Omens may not suffer bloat, but there are some questionable moves. The title track, for instance, has grooves for miles and miles but this half sung, half almost rapped bit could be disastrous. As it is, it’s really only a fender bender and doesn’t last long. The song is fine and I think it is a single? So for those purposes, it does its job. It will get people in the arena, and that is the level LOG is at (and has been for a long time, honestly.) Nothing wrong in that - if it ain’t broke then why fix it? Follow up “Gomorrah” is also a bit of a reach, not so much a stumble as avoiding a puddle in a rainstorm. Are they bad songs? No. Do they fall kinda flat in the middle? Oh yeah. Does that make OMENS a bad album? Again, no. It’s a LAMB OF GOD album for all the good and bad that entails.

One of the best tracks on the whole album is also its shortest, “Denial Mechanism” going full d-beat and allowing Blythe to indulge his first love, which is punk, and also allowing Cruz to break out of the box that LAMB OF GOD have made for themselves. Like I said - they are very consistent - and on Omens there are no real risks to be taken. And why should there be? This band is massively popular and doesn't seem disingenuous in the least. They aren’t masquerading Dad rock as being edgy (I’m not even saying the name), and they’re not wearing gym gear (see previous refusal). LAMB OF GOD is unapologetically being themselves - and who they are is larger than life.

4.0 Out Of 5.0