Lamb of God Bring Their Omens Tour to Tampa

MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater in Tampa was alive when metal lords Lamb of God brought their Omens tour to the sunshine state. It was an impressive lineup too, with Suicide Silence, Baroness, and Killswitch Engage opening.

Deathcore quintet Suicide Silence opened the evening, or rather afternoon as the sun was still out. Thanking the crowd for coming out early, the boys from Riverside, CA were non-stop, getting the crowd ready for what was ahead. Vocalist Eddie Hermida was a joy to watch, but guitarist Mark Heylmun stole the show with his mannerisms and faces. How can you not enjoy a set that includes the song “Fuck Everything”?

Next up was Baroness. While I’ve seen them before, they always are a treat. If you’ve never seen Gina Gleason on guitar, you need to change that. She is just a powerhouse. The whole band is so talented. They are definitely musicians’ musicians. There isn’t a lot of jumping around and theatrics and there doesn’t need to be. The musicianship is mesmerizing. It was extraordinary to see them on a bigger stage.

As the sun was setting, Killswitch Engage took to the stage. Opening with “Strength of the Mind”, they were going to show what metalcore was all about. Singer Jesse Leach jumped off the stage and sang with the crowd during “Rose of Sharyn”. The true highlight, though, was the appearance of original lead singer Howard Jones, who came out for “The Signal Fire”. The crowd could not have been louder.

The stage was cleared and a black curtain hung. As the crowd waited in anticipation, the music swelled. The kabuki dropped, and the band launched into “Memento Mori”. Randy Blythe was all over the stage, never standing in one place for long. Jumping around the stage and growling, Blythe commanded the stage. Guitarist Mark Morton showed why he is one of the better metal guitarists playing today. The crowd sang every word (maybe the photographer did too. Just a little). From beginning to end, the boys from Richmond left everything on the stage. Playing a mix of songs from their new album “Omens” and fan favorites, the set ended with the hit “Redneck”, definitely the right way to end the evening.