Lamb of God
Omens
Epic
Let me start off by saying I’ve never listened to Lamb of God. Back in the late ’80s, while in college, I hosted a heavy metal show and played/enjoyed all of the standards of that era: the “Big 4,” Venom, Pantera, etc. But I always enjoyed all forms of music and couldn’t listen to just one style for an extended period of time. By the time LOG’s first album came out, I was starting a family and didn’t really have the time to buy new stuff nor the time to listen to it. But I did see live clips and heard songs here and there, just didn’t have time to focus on it. So keep that in mind, and know that I am not going to compare/contrast their latest offering, Omens, to any of their past efforts, and definitely won’t make false accusations of possibly selling out, or say “things really changed when so and so left.” Just a middle aged man writing an honest review.
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I bike commute to work several days a week. Each 15-mile trek gives me plenty of time to listen to music through my Bluetooth speaker uninterrupted. And I have to say (taken me long enough to get to this point), Omens is a fantastic record. It never lets up, and for someone with ADD, keeping song lengths to around a 4-minute average is perfect. Makes bike commuting quicker and more entertaining.
I am most impressed with the vocals of lead singer Randy Blythe. To keep singing at a high level after 25 years, in this style, is amazing. Sure, there may be some studio magic here, but it’s minimal. The dual guitar attack is thunderous and the rhythm section just keeps it pounding away from opening track “Nevermore” through “September Song.” The song “Ditch” stands out to me when Randy says “You’re face down, down in a ditch that you dug yourself, you can live and die by the hand you’re dealt. Unwound consequence and you can never tell, live or die by the hand you’re dealt.” And Ill Designs says it perfectly with “Every back you stabbed, and every disrespect, turns back on you, cause and effect. Strings you pulled and decks you stacked, a falling house of cards, a pathetic wreck.”
As you can see, I totally dig this album. If you have always been a fan, I don’t see how you could not like this album, unless you are overly critical and want everything to sound the way it did when you thought they were at their best. Now I will go back and give the rest of their catalog a listen, as I need more (new to me) music to listen to while riding a bike.
