Lamb of God have announced their ninth studio album, Omens, revealing that its first single, Nevermore, will arrive this Friday (June 10).
Following the band's 2020 self-titled album, Omens is touted, if you can believe it, as Lamb of God's “angriest album yet." In a catalog laced with the likes of New American Gospel (2000), Ashes of the Wake (2004) and Sacrament (2006), it's hard to imagine such aggression can be topped, but we're excited, to say the least.
“The world is crazy and keeps changing,” says frontman Randy Blythe. “Omens is a reaction to the state of the world. It's a very pissed-off record. It is extremely pissed off."
And the new album plays host to some of the band's best material, too according to guitarist Mark Morton.
“The inner workings of the band have never been better,” he explains. “You can hear it in Omens. You can see it in our performances, and if you're around us for five minutes, you can feel it.”
Wasting no time in getting the momentum going, the Virginia metal titans have also announced a massive headlining North American tour, featuring a plethora of special guests including Killswitch Engage, Baroness, Motionless in White, Spiritbox, Animals As Leaders, Suicide Silence and Fit For An Autopsy.
The tour is set to kick off September 9 in Brooklyn, New York, making stops across the continent, before wrapping up in Irving, Texas on October 20. Tickets will be available from this Friday at 10AM local time via the band's website.
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“Two decades ago, Lamb of God, along with Killswitch Engage, were part of a new wave of American heavy metal music,” the band say. “Our scene grew from a small, loosely connected network of underground shows in basements and warehouses, into a global phenomenon that helped define an entire generation of modern heavy metal.
“We are thrilled to announced the Omens Tour, which celebrates not only the perseverance and impact of that original movement, but also the creativity and originality of the bands that it influenced. Heavy metal is alive and well."
Omens is available to preorder now via Lamb of God's website. Those who purchase any physical CD or vinyl version of the record will receive a free access code to watch a documentary titled The Making of Omens, which will premiere the week of the album's release.
Check out the album's track list and artwork below.
- Nevermore
- Vanishing
- To The Grave
- Ditch
- Omens
- Gomorrah
- Ill Designs
- Grayscale
- Denial Mechanism
- September Song
While Omens' track list doesn't mention any guest appearances, it was revealed that Body Count guitarists Ernie C and Juan Garcia were invited to lay down backing vocals on new Lamb of God material earlier this year.
“When your friend Randy Blythe invites you to do back up vocals on brand-new Lamb of God material... you show up and support.” the pair wrote on Instagram, adding that the Virginia metallers' new music is “slamming."
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Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar.
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