Lamb of God released their much anticipated self-titled album on June 19th. The effort is their eighth full length album to date (tenth counting the two albums released as Burn the Priest). So why wait this long into their career to release a self-titled effort? Well, one listen to this album and you’ll likely understand why.
The album kicks off with the dark, moody “Memento Mori.” Singer Randy Blythe channels his inner Peter Steele in this dark, gothic, intro before the band begin to pummel us with their signature groove metal style atop Blythe’s blistering vocals. Additionally, this song, and the album as a whole, finds some of the catchiest vocals from Blythe that we’ve heard since 2009’s Wrath.
“Checkmate”, which served as the album’s first single, begins with a huge southern groove laden guitar riff. You’d almost expect it to erupt into a Southern Rock ballad but, instead, it’s a full on assault on your ears, bringing in all of the intensity that one would expect from Lamb of God.
The album sees the band really playing to their strengths and pulling out all of the tricks that put them on the heavy metal map to begin with. However, the album also shows a lot of growth in the band as well. Songs like “Reality Bath” really demonstrate how the band has learned to let the music breathe. Throughout the song, there are breaks in the heaviness that actually add more to the song than they take away. Dark layers of ambiance can be found throughout the track adding the perfect amount of depth to the song.
Another track that really stands out on the album is “Resurrection Man.” Many fans were concerned when long term drummer, Chris Adler, exited the band in mid-2019. Many wondered if new drummer, Art Cruz, would be able to fill such large shoes. After all, Chris had long been an integral part of the band with his machine-like precision. Well, this track shows that not only does Art have the chops, he is not afraid to add his own flair to the band as opposed to trying to mimic his predecessor. Art’s presence adds a noticeably more organic feel to the songs.
In recent years, Lamb of God really embraced the idea of having guest vocalists on their albums and it has really paid off big with the fans. 2015’s Storm Und Drung featured vocals from Chino Moreno (Deftones) and Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan). Having different vocalists on that album allowed the band to explore slightly different territory without veering too far left of what they’re known for. This album is no different. The track “Poison Dream” features vocals from Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed). While it is still a Lamb of God song at heart, the boys decided to incorporate a huge hardcore breakdown for Jamey to do what he does best, destroy the mic. Additionally, “Routes” features legendary vocalist Chuck Billy (Testament). And what better way to pay homage to Chuck’s legacy than to do a full on thrash metal banger. Chuck’s vocals add a unique flavor to the song and really break up the flow of the album.
Lamb of God have always been masters of not overdoing things or adding anything to the song that wasn’t needed. Evidence of this can be found in the lack of guitar solos in many of their previous albums. The songs were so well written that most of them really didn’t have the need for solos. We do see the solos become slightly more prevalent on this effort. However, they are used in places where the song warrants it, adding to the overall organic feel to the album. We’ve also seen the use of clean vocals become a little more prevalent in recent years. A great example of this can be found on the track “Bloodshot Eyes.” That’s not to say that this song doesn’t go just as hard as any of the others on the album though. It’s simply to show how the band have really honed in their knack for knowing exactly what a song needs and adding just the right dosage.
Overall, this is one of the best albums in the band’s career which is now spanning over two decades and will most certainly further solidify them as one the greatest bands in modern metal.
I’m Music Magazine Writer Jason Jarvis
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