Reviews list for Bad Omens - Bad Omens (2016)

Bad Omens is not your average alt-metalcore band. They've made it big with their sound, especially in their latest album The Death of Peace of Mind that had one of its singles launched into popularity by TikTok. The band would also collaborate with pop star Poppy for an industrial metal track featuring only her vocals. But before we get to their new famous era, we have to start in the beginning with their 2016 debut...

The earliest hype around the band came from the pre-release singles. Some say they were inspired by Sempiternal-era Bring Me the Horizon, others say they're a straight-up copy. But no matter what they say, this album is still a great start to their career.

"Glass Houses" begins it all in a heavy bang. They can make a catchy chorus without causing the pop to pop up. Sure the style and lyrics are similar to Bring Me the Horizon but they're able to not cause any cringe and instead add slight improvement. "Exit Wounds" is another great metalcore track, and I'm sure other fans of the style would agree. You can start to hear the band's melodic side in "The Worst in Me". Now "FERAL" has potential to be in a soundtrack for a movie similar to Queen of the Damned.

Soft melancholic moments can be heard in the relaxed "Enough, Enough Now". Then "Malice" has faster speed and unclean vocals, with occasional piano leftover from the previous track. Whitechapel/Periphery influences can be found in "Hedonist". This release would've been better without "Broken Youth" which is more of a filler than a banger.

"Crawl" tones down everything into something soft enough to end up in a Studio Ghibli film soundtrack. It's still a beautiful highlight though. "The Letdown" attempts to sound like an anthem, but becomes more of an emo letdown. "Reprise (The Sound of the End)" has the usual metalcore heaviness, but it fails to stand out well. The finale "The Fountain" may not be metallic, but it's strong clean anthem with tribal drums and flutes. It ends the journey with ethereal diversity, an anthemic hit to live on forevermore...

H*ll, if any new band can make a solid debut like Bad Omens' self-titled album, they have a monumental future ahead of them. This metalcore album marks the start of Bad Omens' good journey through alt-metal fame....

Favorites: "Glass Houses", "Exit Wounds", "The Worst in Me", "Hedonist", "Crawl", "The Fountain"