On top of Frank’s favorite new metal bands in 2020 was Lady Beast when I reviewed their fourth album, The Vulture’s Amulet.  A complete banger of an album incorporating traditional Heavy Metal in the form of early Maiden/Priest/Manilla Road/Dio.  So the early Power Metal influences were there as the band galloped along with quicker speeds too.  I also mentioned Deborah Levine as having one of the best voices in metal and this still rings true, especially since I have all their material, and on this ep, Omens, the band is gelling and producing quality metal.

5 songs in 20 minutes with a special cover version of Rainbow’s “Kill the King”.  “The Poisoned Path” opens the ep and the opening appears to be an homage to Metallica’s “Hit the Lights”- just listen to the opening.  It’s amazing, then the song gets into Lady Beast’s classic metal approach.  Very nice guitar melodies and Deborah’s vocals flowing nicely and I’m waiting for those killer set of pipes to start screaming.  The 1.30 part picks up to a classic NWOBHM speed and she lets those vocals rip. It’s something to point out, the very melodic edge to this track with some nice guitar melodies thrown in, which go on for a bit.  The main guitar riff is extremely catchy and some nice dual layered/second tracked backing aria style vocals.  Nice little ditty of a song to open the album.

The second track, “Reaper”, immediately gets into the meat and potatoes of what Lady Beast are all about as I find this song stronger than the opener.  Very catchy main riff with the vocals following the riffing great and some nice varied vocals and then the damn catchy chorus.  I tell you ever since I got all of their material and went through it multiple times the songs’ grown even more so on me.  This track has the catchy chorus, excellent solos and quality riffing with a very good rhythm section.  I love the 2.58 stop and start vocals and music moment – it’s quite epic and catchy.  Towards the end of the song the vocal pattern return to the catchiness, like earlier in the track, and Deborah letting out some classic oooh’s and ahhh’s and a little laughter.  Some real classic Bruce Dickinson type shit going on right there.  Makes me smile from ear to ear.

“Blood for Blood” brings back some of those power metal moments back into the fold.  Quicker pace in certain spots, so you can headbang until your head rolls down the hill, just like that meatball did all those years ago on top of ‘Ole Smokey, all covered with Cheese..  There’s some spoken word vocalization going on and the guitar solo at the 2.55 mark is quite ripping and I would have wanted that solo to go on for a bit more, but the song settles into a mid-paced speed again, before the song picks up the pace and then the song ends.

“Kill the King” (Rainbow cover) is a cool choice to do.  The song was off Rainbow’s 1978 final album with Ronnie James Dio, Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll.  And after that Dio went onto his first stint with Black Sabbath.  The original song is quite a classic.  Pretty fast song, when we think of 1978-early power metal at its first and finest and Dio, in his prime, just vocally killing it.  Band’s covering classic metal songs, sometimes I cringe before hearing the cover, ‘cause I’m like I hope the band does not harpoon the original, and trust me I’ve heard some horrid cover songs, but the song is in great hands with Lady Beast.  The opening guitar melody a tad quicker than the original but keeping the original essence as the song keeps the original pace the same, that nice power metal gallop and Deborah’s vocals are just…..insane on this.  The vocal harmonies, her ranges and her singing the chorus-well dark lord almighty, she nails this song to a T.  The music, rhythm section, vocal tones are so great-Lady Beast better put this cover in their live set.  I know established bands don’t always like putting a cover in their set when they have original albums out, but for Lady Beast, the song would fit in nicely wedged in between their original songs.  The 2.40 part-guitar melodies are so spot on, they give me chills on the nape of my neck.  Lady Beast had quite the gumption to cover such a classic song, but they hit a frickin’ grand slam with this cover.

“The Fool’s Journey” ends the ep and as the longest song and most intense one on the ep as the song gets off to the races, in the beginning, with the speed parts.  Super catchy and the song settles into a mid-paced riff-laden monster, equipped with Maiden melodies and excellent vocal patterns and then the speedier parts return.  There’s more excellent guitar soloing going on, especially towards the end of the song.  They’re piped in perfectly in the mix.  There’s also some great vocal harmonies towards the end of the song.

Omens is a nice stop-gap release before Lady Beast releases their next full-length album.  The musicianship, song arrangements and production do the band’s sound a lot of justice.  My favorite song happens to be the Rainbow cover and it’s rare I review every song on a release, but this was only 5 songs and hey…why not-give you a little a movie trailer review for each track.  If Lady Beast were not on your radar before, then put them in your sights at once.  They love metal, they play it really well and their music always gets me in a good mood.  Support this band at once and I’m hopeful to one day see the band live.

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