ALBUM REVIEW: Lady Beast – Omens

Traditional Heavy Metallers LADY BEAST are back in action with a new EP to follow their glorious “The Vulture’s Amulet” record. Set for release via Reaper Metal Productions on September 3rd.

The might of steel strikes immediately with no lame introduction or pretentious nonsense, just pure Heavy Metal riffing and cymbal chimes. Melodic vocals that soar vibrantly amidst the instrumental fury give a straight-forward catchiness which fits the groove like a glove and makes this a clear example of a Heavy Metal band that will be easy for newcomers to get into while not remotely letting down their pre-existing fans. Intricate guitar work dances atop consistent drums with some tastefully simplistic yet evocative lead work, this is a fine example of a band capturing the subtleties of the NWOBHM without overdoing them in a garish or annoying manner. “The Reaper” ramps up the energy with Maiden-esque gallops and triumphant soloing to kick us right in with a much more upbeat example of their Metal craft. It is obvious why this is the lead single as an in-depth yet anthemic and memorable song of pure 80s glory and traditional worship with plenty of its own character. The return of Lady Beast, thus far, seems to be one of immense quality.

For me, as a guitarist, I will always be primarily focused on cool riffs and leads, but of course there is more to a good record than such singular qualities. For example, the bassist is not just a lacklustre guitarist playing root notes for the whole 20 minutes, but offering thundering hooks to the entirety while not detracting from the cutting guitars. Additionally the drums feel busy, which is always an important thing for classic Heavy Metal to not seem too dulled. Of course the soaring vocals will draw the attention for many as they are delivered in mighty fashion atop a monolith of class musicianship. With the latter section of the EP flying past in a blur of fantastic head banging fury, I cannot see a reason why anyone would opt to miss out on a fun but sincere record like this, which is charming and yet not cheesy. This is clearly an actual band and not just a collective of musicians fighting to be heard.

Lady Beast return with 5 new ripping tracks of traditional Heavy Metal excellence. No bells and whistles, just straight up killer music that is easy to pound fists and bang head to without any of the obnoxious classlessness that can creep into NWOTHM if done improperly.