ALBUM REVIEW: The Death Of Peace Of Mind – Bad Omens

Richmond-based metalcore outfit BAD OMENS have amassed a pretty hefty following in their short tenure, already supporting some of the hottest bands on the scene such as PARKWAY DRIVE, VEIL OF MAYA and STICK TO YOUR GUNS to name but a few. After acquiring a couple of impressive placings in the US charts for tracks from their second full-length effort Finding God Before God Finds Me, it is now time to see if they can capitalise on this momentum as they approach the release of the follow-up entitled The Death Of Peace Of Mind, which is due for release on February 25th via Sumerian Records.

Concrete Jungle immediately clutches you in its grasp with intoxicating synths and soothing vocal work. The pacing is dramatic and addictive and just as you least expect it you are hit with a powerful surge of riffs and vicious screams. Nowhere To Go maintains the enticing melodies and neatly shifts in gears for maximum impact. The chorus is incredibly vibrant and really hits that sweet spot – an undeniable anthem. Take Me First wraps you in swathes of cathartic groove alongside passionate lyrical passages that really get entwined in your memory. The Death Of Peace Of Mind feels considerably darker and more tense than its predecessors; the prominent, breathy vocal stylings are as smooth as silk. There are still elements of heaviness but they kind of lurk in the background for the most part and this non-invasive approach really helps set the tone in this track and helps to amplify the aggression when the trigger is pulled.

What It Cost brings forth thumping drum beats in the early stages, introducing further elements of intriguing orchestration along the way. This piece slots right into Like A Villain; the inner struggles and turmoil poured into the vocal work are palpable and really resonate with the song structure. Bad Decisions follows in the footsteps of the title track, the vocals have a claustrophobic quality and at times it feels like vocalist Noah Sebastian is literally stood next to your ear drums. Just Pretend picks up the energy levels with some enthusiastic riff work enhancing the chorus lines.

The Grey steals some of that vigour and throws some bouncy instrumentation into the mix. It’s a shame that these flourishes have been few and far between up to this stage as it helps highlight an exciting tool that BAD OMENS have in their arsenal which unfortunately has been seldom utilised. Who Are You resumes the synth heavy offerings that are beginning to feel a dime a dozen at this stage. The track kind of glides by without bringing anything new to the table. Somebody Else falls into the same trap, to the point that this release feels like it is on autopilot.

IDWT$ threatens to inject a bit of fire into these fading embers but again the moments of heightened adrenaline evaporate about as quick as they arrived. What Do You Want From Me? wanders into the industrial territory and the pulsing, charged beats thankfully begin to conjure up some excitement. The devilishly downtuned burst towards the end certainly assists in restoring some faith that this release hasn’t ran out of juice. Artificial Suicide kicks off with some formidable hooks that you wish you’d heard about five tracks ago. Definitely one of the standout pieces and a guaranteed pit inducer. Miracle ensures that this release finishes strongly with a confident, alluring rhythm mixing some of the best parts of this collective to end on a high.

The Death Of Peace Of Mind just about does enough to bring itself back from the brink of boredom, but it takes a lot of persistence to wade through the lull and discover the gems at the closing stages. Quality over quantity certainly comes into question on this release and BAD OMENS are evidently capable of writing fantastic tracks but have fell victim to their own self-indulgence somewhere along the way. There are a stack of moments to appreciate but a good chunk of this release could’ve been culled to make it infinitely more effective.

Rating: 7/10

The Death Of Peace Of Mind is set for release on February 25th via Sumerian Records.

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