Review by Saxy S for Lamb of God - Omens (2022)

I never really god into Lamb of God growing up. I could tell that they were an impressive metalcore/groove metal band that knew how to write infectious melodies, but I could always tell that they were better served as a singles band and albums could never hold the attention of my pretentious prog mind for too long. They were clearly influenced by Pantera and received the hallowed status as that band did, which never sat well with me. 

Now I haven't listened to much LoG since Strum und Drang as my listening circles were far more diverse and less metal oriented. But after Adler left the group, a self titled album and now Omens, I was willing to give Lamb of God another chance. And yeah, this is pretty good. It feels like a return to form for the band; the return of heavier songs, faster riffs and less clean singing.

And once again, I am reminded that Lamb of God are absolutely a singles band. "Nevermore", "Omens" and "Grayscale" all contain peak Lamb of God tropes, while just being a straight up good song to listen to. But those deep cuts lose momentum and start to run together after a while. More so than any other Lamb of God record, this one is the closest to sounding like metalcore, specifically August Burns Red. The use of chugging riffs while a moving guitar lead soars above is fine, but loses its touch after about the fifth song.

"Denial Mechanism" has the band go for that more thrashier side like the old school Pantera album Cowboys From Hell. The issue is that it is the albums shortest track, and also the penultimate one before the slower "September Song" to close out. Neither of these changes of pace are presented well and leaves the album feeling like something was missing; a constant issue of later Lamb of God albums. 

Despite all of this, there is a reason why Lamb of God's name is so well recognized in the mainstream metal circles. They capture the heaviness of Pantera and develop it into a new age, without losing what makes Pantera songs like "Walk" and "5 Minutes Alone" so great. It is not an album I intend on returning to all that much, but for a late stage album from a higher echelon metal band, I cannot deny this record as being a lot of fun.

Best Songs: Nevermore, Ditch, Ill Designs, Grayscale