Spring Break
Metal watch: Lamb of God releases competent album
Evan Connet
Issue date: 2/27/09 Section: Diversions
Lamb of God
Wrath
Four stars
Label: Roadrunner Records
Check Out: "Contractor," "Grace," "Broken Hands"
Skip: "Fake Messiah"
Lamb Of God is an interesting breed of metal band that exists on the front lines of what many have called the "new wave of American heavy metal." Unfortunately, they sit in a sort of limbo between being true heavy metal to some, and being sell-outs to others.
Since forming in 1990 in Richmond, Va., the guys have gone through remarkably few lineup changes. Once the quintet was set, only one other guitarist has ever been amongst their ranks, and he was gone before the band's first album was released, so I won't comment on him further.
I mention the solidarity of the band because, in forming such a strong bunch of musicians into a single unit for so long, the guys now play their instruments with laser precision and the collective group can play circles around most any other metal band to emerge in the last two decades.
Following up their 2006 release "Sacrament," 2009 is the year of "Wrath" for the band.
I personally have every major release from Lamb Of God, and I can track the changes they have made to their sound since their first 1998 release when the band was still known as "Burn The Priest."
As is the case with many metal bands that change their sound direction midway through their career, the fans will become polarized. On one hand, you have the fans of the "old stuff," you know, back when the screaming was harsher, the songs were not built around memorable riffs, and the overall sound was more unpolished and dirty.
Then you have the people who found the band later in their career and enjoy the (slightly) more intelligible vocals, the guitar hooks and catchy melodies.
I am of the latter. While I enjoy all of their music, I fall into the camp that loves Lamb Of God more from 2003's "As The Palaces Burn" and on.
"Wrath" is no exception, picking up where "Sacrament" left off and running for the hills with it. The band has continued to pack the brutality of heavy metal with a healthy dose of lightning-precision guitar work. Dual shredders Mark Morton and Willie Adler are in top form, laying down some excellent work in tracks like one of my favorites on the album - "Grace" - which kicks off with a beautifully intricate acoustic intro before breaking into a scorching lead guitar line that kicks you right in the face.
Wrath
Four stars
Label: Roadrunner Records
Check Out: "Contractor," "Grace," "Broken Hands"
Skip: "Fake Messiah"
Lamb Of God is an interesting breed of metal band that exists on the front lines of what many have called the "new wave of American heavy metal." Unfortunately, they sit in a sort of limbo between being true heavy metal to some, and being sell-outs to others.
Since forming in 1990 in Richmond, Va., the guys have gone through remarkably few lineup changes. Once the quintet was set, only one other guitarist has ever been amongst their ranks, and he was gone before the band's first album was released, so I won't comment on him further.
I mention the solidarity of the band because, in forming such a strong bunch of musicians into a single unit for so long, the guys now play their instruments with laser precision and the collective group can play circles around most any other metal band to emerge in the last two decades.
Following up their 2006 release "Sacrament," 2009 is the year of "Wrath" for the band.
I personally have every major release from Lamb Of God, and I can track the changes they have made to their sound since their first 1998 release when the band was still known as "Burn The Priest."
As is the case with many metal bands that change their sound direction midway through their career, the fans will become polarized. On one hand, you have the fans of the "old stuff," you know, back when the screaming was harsher, the songs were not built around memorable riffs, and the overall sound was more unpolished and dirty.
Then you have the people who found the band later in their career and enjoy the (slightly) more intelligible vocals, the guitar hooks and catchy melodies.
I am of the latter. While I enjoy all of their music, I fall into the camp that loves Lamb Of God more from 2003's "As The Palaces Burn" and on.
"Wrath" is no exception, picking up where "Sacrament" left off and running for the hills with it. The band has continued to pack the brutality of heavy metal with a healthy dose of lightning-precision guitar work. Dual shredders Mark Morton and Willie Adler are in top form, laying down some excellent work in tracks like one of my favorites on the album - "Grace" - which kicks off with a beautifully intricate acoustic intro before breaking into a scorching lead guitar line that kicks you right in the face.
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Cade
posted 3/11/09 @ 3:15 PM PST
I'm really a fan of their earlier stuff. It was so heavy and the lyrics were awash with cynicism. Blythe's vocals were the echoes of metalheads' minds. (Continued…)
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