Given that the one and only time I got to see one of my favorite high school bands, Scary Kids Scaring Kids was with Saosin’s ex-vocalist Cove Reber at the helm, it only makes sense to me that they took a lyric out of the song he featured on for the bands new record, Out of Light. Now, it was new as of last fall and I hate myself for waiting this long to check it out in full, but here we are.
As I said, when I saw these guys in late 2021, they were back at it with just a few of the original line-ups permanent members, and also featuring Reber as it’s lead vocalist in the wake (almost ten years later) of Tyson’s passing. I was so excited to see these guys, but other than the tribute song they put out almost a year prior, I didn’t know that new music would ever be in the cards for these guys. Out of Light exceeded all of my expectations, and I was even more pleased with the decision to not have one new vocalist heading this new batch of songs. Instead, twelve other super talented guys, and a one point peers, featured on every single, deeply personal song on this record.
One can’t help but think that a majority of this record was written to honor Tyson’s memory, but I felt it was especially true with song “Until You Come Back.” That one had me fighting back tears, y’all. A lot of the album seemed to be reminiscing on what these guys had back in the day, the lasting impact he had on their lives, and seemingly battling similar struggles Tyson was likely facing himself. Matt Macdonald’s vocals in that song are incredible, and it’s my favorite tracks easily, but the rest of the album truly does impress, too.
Given with how much Bad Omens has exploded since the pandemic started, you might want to consider checking out “The Dark,” which features vocals from their front man, Noah Sebastian. Other very notable guest vocalists include Underoath’s Spencer Chamberlain, Ice Nine Kills’ Spencer Charnas, and Mod Sun. There’s plenty of other star power on this record and every single one of them deliver a stellar performance. Sure, no one song sounds vocally the same, but there is still a signature sound that ties everything together on this record.
I know the band is still touring here and there, so I hope I get the chance to see these guys again. Who knows who will be hopping in next time!