Blasting us across deserts, dunes, mountains, and woodlands, the first full-length offering by this blazing hot Texas-based Metalcore outfit goes deep and dark into the pit of our hearts.

Hailing from from the heart of Del Rio, Texas, the blazing hot Metalcore act known as Semper Acerbus (a Latin phrase that translates to “always bitter” or “always harsh”) goes straight for the jugular with their blistering third full-length album, titled Following Omens. Produced, mixed and mastered by Chris Mora (Upon a Burning Body, Kingdom Collapse), and showcasing a classy artwork by Federico Bossinga of Abstract Chaos Design (Dark Funeral, Dimmu Borgir, Old Man’s Child), the follow-up to their 2021 album Ouroboros sees the band formed of vocalist Nelson Acerbus, guitarists Jaime Vargas and Joe Dragich, bassist Sammy Farhat, and drummer Tyler Thomas deliver an explosion of sonic heaviness that thematically covers the whole of the psychological super spectrum, oftentimes all the way to the fringes where the darkness is the deepest and despair is thick as fog on old cobblestone. Lyrically, the band explores all types of toxic relationships leading to destructive aftermaths that teach us the hard lessons, the ones that change us forever.

A very Metalcore intro ignites the opening tune Suffering Awaits, exploding into a well-balanced mix of their core sound and nuances of Death Metal led by the venomous roars by Nelson. After such a demented start the band offers our avid ears Unwanted, with Tyler stealing the spotlight with his progressive, intricate drumming, whereas in One Day At A Time the title carries a deep meaning to all of us, and the band makes sure the music reflects that with its Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore riffs, background keys and anguished screams. And Jaime and Joe rev up the band’s metallic engine with their razor-edged riffs in The Gallows, inspiring us all to bang our heads nonstop to their scathing, electrifying extravaganza.

The second part of the album begins with the cinematic interlude Alluring Vendetta, warming us up for the hard hitting Archangel, where Nelson keeps vociferating rabidly from the bottom of his blackened heart accompanied by another rumbling performance by Sammy and Tyler armed with their respective bass and drums. Wounded sounds a bit generic compared to the other songs, as it doesn’t offer the same level of intricacy nor dynamism; fortunately, Torn Inside gets the band back on track with a striking blend of Progressive Metalcore spearheaded by the demolishing yet very technical drumming by Tyler, not to mention the guitars by Jaime and Joe are breathing fire. And their coup-de-grace comes in the form of District Coward, again presenting a truly menacing kitchen by Sammy and Tyler, as heavy and headbanging as it can be.

Blasting us across deserts, dunes, mountains, and woodlands, Following Omens goes deep and dark into the pit of our hearts while the band entertains themes of isolation, addiction, vendettas, and death, religion and romance, omens and ghosts. Such a must-see name of the current Metalcore scene is waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with news, tour dates and other nice-to-know details, and you can also stream their acid creations on YouTube and on Spotify, and purchase your copy of their excellent newborn spawn by clicking HERE or HERE. In the end, the new album by Semper Acerbus is perfect for those who want to rock out, while simultaneously important for those who need to engage in a search of the self. We dig them. We play them loud as all hell, and we’re one of them.

Best moments of the album: Suffering Awaits, The Gallows and District Coward.

Worst moments of the album: Wounded.

Released in 2026 Eclipse Records

Track listing
1. Suffering Awaits 4:11
2. Unwanted 3:22
3. One Day At A Time 4:05
4. The Gallows 3:40
5. Alluring Vendetta 1:00
6. Archangel 3:41
7. Wounded 3:37
8. Torn Inside 3:29
9. District Coward 3:51

Band members
Nelson Acerbus – vocals
Jaime Vargas – guitar
Joe Dragich – guitar
Sammy Farhat – bass
Tyler Thomas – drums