Unsurprisingly, the band was named after the famous John Steinbeck novel. They’ve toured with the likes of Linkin Park and A Day to Remember, whereas in Europe they’ve opened for Blessthefall. They’ve had their share of setbacks too. Vocalist Austin Carlile was forced to pull out of their European tour in 2016 due to ongoing health issues and finally walked out at the end of that same year due to songwriting differences. Bassist and clean vocalist Aaron Pauley has since stepped up and assumed vocal duties full-time. It’s a ‘Cold World’ (2016) indeed, but the album did denote the start of a new chapter for Of Mice and Men with a departure from blast beat-ridden metalcore in favour of big arena-flavoured alternative rock. Strong support slots for Five Finger Death Punch and Bullet for My Valentine turned hordes of new fans on to the band. ‘Cold World’ placed OMAM on the radar of heavy alternative rock fans and their latest outing ‘Tether (2023) will convince more than just metalcore fans with its combination of down-tuned riffs and more melodic, accessible parts. (#GMM24)
