This piece was originally featured in AM02 — Issue Two of Ascribe. Click here to read it alongside the rest of the issue.
Bad Omens has become a household name in the metalcore scene seemingly overnight.
It is no secret that the band has been around and creating music since their 2016 self-titled album, but their sudden rise in popularity can easily be attributed to 2022’s THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND. While the album was produced by the band themselves, it was mixed and mastered by Zakk Cervini, who has previously worked with acts such as Bring Me The Horizon and Architects. The album recently turned one, warranting a moment of reflection on its success.
THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND is Bad Omens’ third studio album on Sumerian Records, but is very different from the two previous releases. While their self titled album and Finding God Before God Finds Me are rooted in very textbook metalcore, TDOPOM takes a on a lot of elements from other genres such as R&B and finds new ways to reinvent a familiar sound with electronic inspiration. It truly is a breath of fresh air in a generally over saturated atmosphere which is why it is no surprise that it has been such a hit.
As a casual listener of Bad Omens for many years, I was genuinely expecting something that felt like their classic metalcore sound. It even took me a few months after TDOPOM’s release to listen to it but once I did, I was instantly hooked. This album siglehandledly gave me a whole new perspective on Bad Omens and what they were capable of creating. I was in awe of their subtle change in sound and expert artistry. Noah Sebastian’s insane vocal range and abilities is much more melodic this time around and pairs so well with what the rest of the band brings to the table. I found myself listening to the album in its entirety of repeat for myself and to this day, I still do. It accompanies me on long drives, on bad days, and even when I just want to sing along to songs that have begun to mean a lot to me.
The marketing of the release was also masterfully done. The album has striking visuals that accompany every aspect of it. Each music video is gorgeously shot and put together to tell a cinematic story. These visuals carry on to live performances as well through pieces of the music videos and added clips that pertain to each song. All media assets, visuals, and releases has been expertly thought out and implemented to elevate the meaning of the album.
There are plenty of statistics to back up and quantify Bad Omens’ obvious success since the release of the record on February 25, 2022. It wasted no time climbing the charts and catching the attention of many current fans and new listeners alike.
At its peak position, THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND reached number eleven on the Billboard’s US Top Hard Rock Albums chart and number two on US Heatseekers Albums chart. Bad Omens was recently selected as one of SiriusXM’s “Future 5” which highlights the five brightest stars in music today. There is no doubt that THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND was easily many people’s album of the year as well, shamelessly including my own.
As for streaming, the band sits at 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Unsurprisingly, four out of their five top songs are from TDOPOM. Just to put that into perspective, at this time last year, “Dethrone” off of their 2019 album Finding God Before God Finds Me had just under 10 million listens. At 21 million listens today, it is now the band’s fifth most listened to song, sitting 29 million listens under TDOPOM’s “Just Pretend”. I can honestly say I might be quite a few of these listens and I don’t regret it.
Their touring schedule and ticket sales are separate proof enough. A Tour of the Concert Jungle, Bad Omens’ October tour with support from Dayseeker, Thousand Below, and Make Them Suffer, was announced in September, and sold out immediately. In fact, there were many changes to the dates in order to accommodate demand. Added dates include a second Atlanta date at the beginning of the tour and second New York date at the end of it. Many venues in other cities were upgraded as well. Charlotte, North Carolina’s stop was originally planned for The Underground, a venue with a max capacity of 700, but very quickly moved up to its sister location, The Fillmore, which holds 2000 guests. As someone who was lucky enough to be there, it was entirely packed from front to back and every single person, especially me, was singing along and having the night of their lives.
Their Spring 2023 UK portion of A Tour of the Concert Jungle shared the same fate. Announced at the same time as the North American dates, the band was still making changes and arrangements in January to accommodate expected crowd levels. All dates sold out quickly, with limited VIPs available. Fans were taking to Facebook groups and Discord severs to find people selling their tickets – usually to no avail.
2023’s touring schedule seems to be even more packed. The first few announcements were all one off shows or festivals such as 107.9 KBPA Birthday bash alongside Fame On Fire, I Prevail, and Godsmack, as well as Bamboozle Festival with Chelsea Grin, I Set My Friends on Fire, and more. Notably, Bad Omens was recently announced for Blue Ridge Rock Fest in Virginia for the third year in a row- this time on the main stage. When making the announcement, Blue Ridge Rock Fest made sure to point out they were one of the most voted for and highly requested bands for this year’s lineup. Additionally, a string of twelve shows, purposely straying from being called a tour, are sprinkled in between these festival appearances. These shows are focused mostly on the Northeast and hit smaller cities that were missed on last year’s Tour of the Concrete Jungle. The support acts for these shows are Invent Animate and Erra. Ten out of the twelve shows sold out during presale events and before ever hitting general sale. While attempting to get tickets on the first day of presale for the Ashville, North Carolina date, I ran to the bathroom at work to make sure I had absolutely no distractions. After securing them, I was genuinely so excited to see a band I had fallen in love with for a second time.
Getting a chance to see them live would make anyone understand why their touring schedule and related achievements are so extensive. Not only does each member do an outstanding job and really show off their abilities every night, but the songs from TDOPOM shine in a live setting. Each one is intricate and dynamic, making it interesting to watch and fun to sing along to. The band has put in distinct effort to ensure the live performance is truly a show and songs off the record like “ARTIFICIAL SUICIDE” and “IDWT$” add a specific nuance and style that elevates the performance. The fans bring a huge aspect of this life. Between singing along, consistent moshing, and bonding with others in the crowd of mutual love, going to a Bad Omens’ show is truly an experience.
Aside from shows and statistics, their overall popularity has grown massively in the span of a year. Some of this can be accredited to the rising popularity of “Just Pretend,” a song off the record that found TikTok fame. The song reached an impressive audience spanning over a wide section of TikTok. Sure, it started with those who already loved Bad Omens but quickly made its way through the app and now, the song has been used in almost 70 thousand TikTok posts. Many newer fans were gained through this viral track and if you ask any of them, they will tell you that. In fact, I sent a few of my friends TikToks including that song and now, I catch those very friends listening to it, and Bad Omens, constantly. “Just Pretend” has just over 50 million listens on Spotify and counting.
Bad Omens went from a niche band with a dedicated fan base that were always there but never truly heard to a household name in metalcore practically overnight. More importantly, they have aided in bringing metalcore back to the forefront of the scene. There is not a day that goes by where someone on social media is praising TDOPOM and prompting other bands to take a page out Bad Omens’ book. In fact, plenty of bands in the scene are giving credit where credit is due and making sure it is known that Bad Omens are simply dominating right now. They really did shed a new light on a genre that is typically lit in older styles and ideals.
It should be no surprise that in a year’s time, THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND is still largely impacting the scene and makes significant waves for Bad Omens. An album that took me entirely by surprise has now become one of my favorites of all time. I am genuinely very thankful I found this record when I did. It has become the soundtrack to my life for the past year and has given me something to take some sort of solace in. I have a whole lot of love for Bad Omens and the music they create and I can’t wait to see what they do next.
