THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND by Bad Omens | Album Review
A sleeper hit from 2022 that I wished had listened to sooner
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If you’ve been endlessly doomscrolling TikTok as I have, chances are you may have stumbled across a snippet of a Bad Omens song, or maybe a clip from their ongoing tour on the For You Page. There’s definitely been a strong push towards the band on social media but for good reason. Aside from their attention-grabbing live performances, Bad Omens’ output has been quite entertaining. They breathe new life into the metalcore genre, and on their 2022 offering THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND, they expand their sound even further. Taking elements from industrial music, as well as focusing heavily on catchy melodies and infectious choruses. THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND ends up being a solid metal album, and a sleeper hit from last year that I wish I listened to earlier.
Sonically Bad Omens hit their mark on this album, it seems like they’ve finally found a sound that suits their style of metal. In the past, comparisons to Bring Me The Horizon and other metalcore bands were rampant on their earlier hits such as “Limit”. This time around, Bad Omens seem to set themselves apart from their contemporaries by introducing a more electronic element to their music. This use of more industrial sounds does the album wonders. The start/stop glitchiness of the abrasive “ARTIFICAL SUICIDE” makes the already chaotic banger sound 10x more intense. This also applies to the few interludes scattered throughout, using pulsing synths to build up to the following track.
There’s also a greater emphasis on riff-driven tracks with hard-hitting choruses. Songs like “Just Pretend” or the mosh pit ready “Nowhere To Go” contain some of the most infectious choruses I’ve heard on a metal project in some time. I’d say the decision to use more sing-a-long choruses is what really drives this album.
Bad Omens also play with other genres in THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND. The slow “bad decisions” plays out like a pop song with its tone. The new wave-influenced “What do you want from me?” wouldn’t sound too out of place on a HEALTH project, as the track bares a ton of similarities to that band’s style. I should also mention the stronger use of clean vocals on the album, lead singer Noah Sebastian uses a higher voice range throughout the majority of the album. He brings a ton of emotion and catharsis as he croons throughout tracks like “The Grey”.
Lyrically, THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND doesn’t stray too far away from the usual musings of metalcore music. So expect to hear a ton of misanthropy, disappointment, and self-loathing throughout. Noah’s songwriting brings a lot of emotional brevity to the album, which I consider to be another hallmark of TDOPOM. Album opener “CONCRETE JUNGLE” sets the stage for the emotional tug-of-war that TDOPOM focuses on. Ideally the strains of both being in/leaving a toxic relationship.
On songs such as “Like A Villain”, Noah speaks from the perspective of being gaslighted, contemplating to himself as to how long he can manage (“But you pushed me to the edge and I slipped and then I fell. I don’t know how long I’ll be holding on.”). On the title track, Noah revisits those same sentiments but admits to himself that maybe he does miss this person despite being at peace without them. The aforementioned “Just Pretend” hones in on the album’s themes even further. As Noah sings throughout the chorus: (“I can wait for you at the bottom, I can stay away if you want me to. I can wait for years if I gotta, Heaven knows I ain’t getting over you”.). It’s one of a few lines from the album that really sticks, and one that I believe encapsulates the album as a whole.
Admittedly, there were some unsavory parts to THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND that soured the experience for me, but not too much to deter the album from me. A good chunk of the album’s latter half is filled with these synth-pop-inspired tracks. While they do showcase Noah’s singing quite well, thematically they felt out of place in the album. (“Who are you?”, “Somebody else.”). I’d even say that the album closer “Miracle” felt just a tad underwhelming, considering how it follows up the explosive “ARTIFICAL SUICIDE”.
Overall, THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND is a very solid metalcore album, and possibly Bad Omens’ most fully realized album to date. I believe they’ve found their niche here with the album’s extremely catchy choruses and great blend of industrial music and heavy metal. It’s a style that works quite well for them, and I’d love to see them experiment and expand with this sound for future releases. Although I’m still not fond of the album’s “softer side”, I appreciate the band’s choice to at least branch out a bit in terms of genre.
I’m giving THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND a 7/10, it’s definitely one of the better metalcore releases from last year, and one that I wish I had listened to sooner. It’s great to see the amount of positive reception the band has been getting lately, they’ve certainly earned it. I’m excited to see where Bad Omens goes next, judging from their latest release, I can see them becoming one of the most talked about metal bands in the months ahead.
Final Rating: 7/10
Favourite Tracks: CONCRETE JUNGLE, Nowhere To Go, THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND, LIKE A VILLAIN, JUST PRETEND, ARTIFICAL SUICIDE
Listen to THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND: Apple Music | Spotify
