I am going to be very candid with all of those who are reading this right now, my knowledge of Of Mice and Men only spanned as far as the literary classic by John Steinbeck. When I first encountered the band, I thought to myself “ these guys will never be on the same playing field as bands like Metallica, Megadeth or even Three Days Grace for that matter.” However, after giving “EARTHANDSKY” a listen, I realize my dismissal of the band was an egregious error.

After my first listen to the album, I found myself perplexed by the fact that “EARTHANDSKY” was the band’s sixth studio album, meaning that they have been flying over my head, or I have been dismissive of them for years. After listening to this album, I can truly say that I am ashamed of my ignorance.

Still, the opening track served as a reaffirmation of why I overlooked the band.

The opening track “Gravedancer,” reminded me of a plague of today’s music world: lack of lyrics. To those who say that isn’t what metal is for, I heartly disagree.

Indeed, the guitar riffs were heavy, the drums thunderous and as impactful and swift as lightning, but lyrically the song is a mess. Mess is putting it lightly; I often found myself lost during the song with the lead singer, Austin Carlile, shouting at the top of his lungs.

I understand that this is the nature of metalcore, but I could not decipher a single word that was uttered by Carlile as his vocals harshly assaulted the microphone.

However, this changed with outstanding tracks like “As We Suffocate,” “Mushroom Cloud,” and the lead single that was initially released, “Earth & Sky.” “As We Suffocate” is arguably the true highlight of this album, as it evokes a late ‘90s, early 2000s vibe when metal had undergone a facelift.

Nu-metal bands would blast songs about failed relationships, total destruction and everything in between, topics an angsty teenager would listen to when life was just becoming exasperating. I found myself taken aback by many songs in the album, but this one struck me in particular. I felt it to be a message, a calling or even better, a revival.

As Carlile sings, “There’s no rebuilding/when the temple comes crashing down/ It’s your burden to carry and your back to break/ Hollow eyes staring as we suffocate/ We’re drunk on death, and high on fire/ It’s not enough to satiate/Until the whole world burns away.”

These lines in the pre-chorus and chorus are not only provocative but the level of sheer poetry that went into them was enough to make my ears perk up and will be enough to make listeners perk up as well.

This song should have been the opening track, as it would have more effectively communicated to listeners the type of album that is in store for them: something hard, loud and rapid-fire fast, yet poetic, intricate and often-times meaningful.

For years I have heard the same thing, and have often made this statement myself — Rock music is dying. Rock music is dead, and hip-hop has killed it. Creativity as we know it is extinct, and if it ever peeks out of the veil of obscurity, it is barely noticed. “EARTHANDSKY” by Of Mice and Men has changed this view for me. “EARTHANDSKY” served as a needed shot in the arm for the metalcore and rock genre.

I always believed that bands like Metallica, Megadeth and Korn carried metal on their backs, but I now think that Of Mice and Men deserve to be in the conversation as well.

I am confident that “EARTHANDSKY” will go down as a classic for Of Mice and Men, and it will be remembered as a monumental revivalist effort for the band that truly did pay dividends and will pay dividends for a while. “EARTHANDSKY” is the album that told us that Of Mice and Men are neither mice, nor mere men. They are something bigger, and something else entirely.

Whatever they are, they will be remembered as something truly provocative and powerful.