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It’s been nearly 30 hard ‘n’ heavy years since Lamb of God formed, as Burn The Priest, in Richmond, Va. And the quintet has not softened the “Sturm und Drang” that provided the title to its 2015 album.

Evidence of that can be found in any of Lamb of God’s shows, and on “Omens,” its ninth album under the current moniker and 11th overall. Releasing Oct. 7, the set — preceded by the tracks “Nevermore” and “Grayscale” — was recorded with frequent producer Josh Wilbur at Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood. In addition to the pulverizing metal attack that’s Lamb of God’s stock in trade, it once again finds frontman Randall Blythe taking stock of both world and personal issues, without quarter or restraint.

It’s fair to say expectations are high for “Omens,” too; Lamb of God’s last five albums have debuted in the Top 20 of the Billboard 200, three of them in the Top 5. The group has also been nominated for four Grammys. So stakes are high, but Lamb of God is feeling up to the challenge…

* Blythe, 51, says by phone from Germany that “Omens” was partly charged by the shackled performance of Lamb of God’s self-titled last album, which was released during June of 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. “It was really well received, and then we just did nothing, ’cause nobody was touring. It feels like the record that disappeared, which is very strange for me because almost my entire adult life it’s been write, record, tour. That sort of routine was interrupted. Some of my guys were like, ‘Oh, we should write a new record since we aren’t touring,’ so that’s how it started.”

* Blythe, however, confesses that “personally I don’t like recording. I’m not a huge fan of the studio. I’m never excited to record in the best of times. So I would’ve sat on my lazy butt awhile longer, I think. But I’m one of five people, so it was time to go make a record. When the Lamb of God machine is in motion, you really kind of have no choice.”

* Despite his aversion to the studio, Blythe says he did enjoy making “Omens” at Henson, which was built by Charlie Chaplin back in 1917 and once owned by A&M records. “I was super-stoked, ’cause so many great records have been made there — even, like, “We Are the World,” there’s a picture there of everybody singing. I tried to sort of internalize that vibe, the story of the place. They had Charlie Chaplin’s private screening room and as Henson owns it now they had the Muppets and a bunch of killer “Dark Crystal” memorabilia and puppets from it. So I got to watch “The Dark Crystal” with my girl in the screening room, so it was a really cool experience. Everybody who worked there was super cool, so it was a great experience.”

* “Omens,” according to Blythe, was “recorded live. Obviously there are overdubs on it, but we went through every song live, first. We recorded in studio D, and everyone was in a room together. I was in a vocal booth but there was a glass door so I could see my guys. We did overdubs to fix stuff up, but we ran through all the songs 100 percent live, and there’s an energy you get when you do that — playing with your guys and you’re all together — that you just don’t get when you record to tape or a digital file these days.”

* Blythe says “Omens’” first single, “Nevermore,” was inspired by and directed to Lamb of God’s home town. “It’s a very Richmond song. It sort of traces the history of Richmond from pre-colonial times to current day, with a lot of Edgar Allan Poe thrown in because he was raised and spent his formative years in Richmond, and there’s echoes of him everywhere if you know where to look. There’s a line about his mother, who’s buried in an unmarked grave because she was an actress and that was a disreputable profession at the time. So I wrote this song specifically for people in Richmond to hear. Richmond’s a great town but like anywhere else there’s certainly some unsavory history.”

Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage, Baroness and Suicide Silence perform at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre, 14900 Metro Parkway, Sterling Heights. 313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com.

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