Image: Bad Omens [Jonathan Weiner, Official Press Photo]
Yes, 2016 was already ten years ago, and with it the release of Bad Omens' very first studio album. Exactly on August 19, 2016, the self-titled work was released as the first of four full-length records in a decade - the most recent being CONCRETE JUNGLE [THE OST] from 2024. A lot has happened with Bad Omens since then - in their lineup, their reach, and their music. Let's take a look back at the beginning…
By the way, you can read more about the detailed band history of Bad Omens in our Bad Omens Wiki.
First Impression – First Building Block of Success
Have you been along for the ride since Bad Omens' debut release? 2016 doesn't seem that long ago – yet a glance at the date shows that a good amount of time has indeed passed. Therefore, the best feedback: The band's first full-length album can still be listened to with just as much enthusiasm today as it was ten years ago. It entered the US Rock Charts at #43 – not bad for a debut. Right from the start, Noah Sebastian delivered personal, deep lyrics paired with metalcore sound mixed with a great bandwidth of modern rock influcences, compared by critics to Bring Me The Horizon eras - made for headbanging, plus powerful anthem and singalong moments for live shows.
The songs had an impact on an emotional level, and that has remained true to this day. While their sound has shifted noticeably into dark and atmospheric territory, with fewer heavy tracks landing on their recent releases, the spirit of their roots is still clearly present. Even the intro to "Glass Houses" on a re-listen proves this right away. Other highlights of the album to this day remain "The Worst In Me", "Exit Wounds", and profound tracks like "The Fountain". These songs were still recorded with bassist Vincent Riquier at the time, before leaving in 2018 and Nicholas Ruffilo joined the band.
Bad Omens also earned immediate praise in reviews and stuck pretty well to prophecies like this one from New Noise Magazine:
"If they keep up this quality of song writing as well as this overall vibe, they can expect only good things in the future."
Because quite a few fan favorites also emerged from the follow-up album Finding God Before God Finds Me (2019), from "Kingdom Of Cards" to total devastation with "Dethrone". THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND then not only solidified their position in the scene in 2022, but catapulted them all the way to the very top. Anyone moving within the core bubble can't get past Bad Omens, and beyond that, the band has gone absolutely viral thanks to platforms like TikTok – being also correspondingly accessible through the melodic and soft sounds of many of the newer tracks used in videos.
And the Next 10 Years?
Bad Omens are certainly working on new music – at least that's what recent single releases since "Specter" a year ago indicate. What the situation looks like regarding a new album or the originally communicated hiatus remains to be seen. In any case, we wish the band all the best and look forward – as patiently as possible – to potential future releases.
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