Bad Omens - Bad Omens [Red]

Before The Death of Peace of Mind turned them into a phenomenon, Bad Omens introduced themselves with this self-titled 2016 debut, pressed here on red vinyl.

Released on Sumerian Records and produced by Will Putney, the album finds the young Virginia band staking out a sound built on metalcore crunch and post-hardcore melody, with traces of nu metal, industrial grit and pop sheen underneath. Noah Sebastian's voice is already the centre of gravity, sliding from a silky croon to a throat-shredding scream within a single chorus.

"Glass Houses" set the tone as the first single, all coiled tension and sudden release. "Exit Wounds" and "The Worst in Me" pair heavy, chugging riffs with hooks built for shouting back from the pit, while "The Fountain," the final single, closes the record and points toward the atmospheric sound the band would chase next.

Joakim Karlsson's guitar work is sharp and economical throughout, favouring big, clean contrasts over endless shredding, and the rhythm section hits with real weight. It is the only Bad Omens album to feature bassist Vincent Riquier, which gives it a small place of its own in their story.

For fans who found the band through their later records, this is where the moody melodies and dark charisma first took shape.