BAD OMEN - Hell Returns LP

Highly recommended.

BAD OMEN formed in 2021, but they sound like they could have come straight from the first wave of 1980s black metal. Hailing from the Netherlands, this trio plays a self-described style of “Ancient Evil Rock” with heavy influences from Venom and Bulldozer. A punk-inflected energy gives this music a dangerous edge, with motorcharged riffs and heavy drumming that capture the pure power of first wave black metal. Bad Omen do not sound like they belong in today’s world, and they do not appear to care. Song titles like “Get Fucked” and “In Hell I Belong” dispel any notion that this group is concerned with the listener’s opinion, and the hand-drawn apocalyptic cover art serves as a further middle finger towards the world around them.