L.A.-based Metalcore sensation Bad Omens has notched several impressive accomplishments in the five years since their formation. Guitarist and Richmond, Virginia resident Noah Sebastian started compiling lyrics while playing with DC-area band Immortalize with a thought toward assembling his own group. In 2015, Sebastian first recruited guitarist Nicholas Ruffilo and then-bassist Vincent Riquier, who suggested his Swedish friend Joakim “Jolly” Karlsson to fill the lead guitar slot. With the arrival of drummer Nick Folio, Bad Omens’ line up was complete; the quintet recorded an untitled demo and circulated it, ultimately drawing the interest of Sumerian Records.
At the end of 2015, Bad Omens’ dropped their first single, “Glass Houses,” and posted the video for the song on Sumerian’s YouTube channel. Over the next four months, Bad Omens released two more singles, “Exit Wounds” and “The Worst in Me,” the latter of which quickly racked up over a million YouTube views. All of the attention lavished on Bad Omens led Sumerian to add the band to its 10th-anniversary celebration tour along with Asking Alexandria, After the Burial and many more, which occurred around the time of the release of Bad Omens’ 2016 eponymous and critically acclaimed full-length debut.
Bad Omens’ rising profile earned them a slot on the 2017 Warped Tour, the event’s next-to-last circuit, and set the stage for the band’s much anticipated European tour. During the band’s slate of European shows, Riquier suffered a devastating back injury and effectively retired from the band. Rather than replace Riquier, Ruffilo filled the bass position and Bad Omens downsized to a quartet.
The band took several months off the road to concentrate on writing new material, which comprised their 2019 sophomore album Finding God Before God Finds Me. They teased the release with a couple of singles in 2018 and released the album to the same level of critical acclaim that greeted their debut, garnering comparisons to Bring Me the Horizon (which the band has found flattering but somewhat problematic) as well as their avowed influences like Deftones, Slipknot, Disturbed and Linkin Park, among others.
Back in January, Bad Omens released a video for their brand new song “Limits,” which was immediately followed by a new deluxe edition of Finding God, featuring the addition of “Limits” and two other new songs, “Never Know” and “Come Undone.”
Bad Omens plays Riverfront Live Friday, March 13 with Oh Sleeper, Thousand Below, Bloodline and The Catalyst. Tickets/more show info: riverfrontlivecincy.com.
This article appears in Mar 4-17, 2020.