The new self-titled release from Lamb Of God is the first in five years and also sees the debut of their new drummer, Art Cruz. Two decades ago, the quintet from Virginia erupted into the metal scene and grew into the household name they hold today.
The new album explores the evolution of their sound with varying styles presented throughout their tracks. The haunting opening to Memento Mori introduces the dark, demonic side to their sound. The simple guitar lead, low vocals and eerie ghost like backing vocals create a mood reminiscent of Gothic horror before erupting into full instrumentation and harsh vocals. The theatrics of this intro bring something different; it’s not necessarily the opening to an album you might expect. Checkmate continues their heavy sound with powerful distorted guitars and strong rhythms throughout. The snippet from the studio at the beginning of the track humanizes the band – it’s quite a contrast from the haunting theatrics of the previous track. Lamb Of God’s sound incorporates everything from intricate guitar leads, seriously good shredding to intense breakdowns and dark vocal textures. The alternating spoken lyrics and harsh in Reality Bath plays with the texture of the sound.
New Colossal Hate delivers a passion fueled sound. The fast pace and high energy have a powerful effect. The guitar rhythms produce a wall of sound and the percussion powers through underneath. The momentum of the track builds before diving into the aggressive, even heavier, breakdown. The lead motifs in this track soon become stuck in your head and enhance the heaviness ploughing beneath. Resurrection Man sees deathcore influences coming through with the dissonant synth and even lower, demonic vocals. This dark side to their sound works really well and it’s an interesting addition to the album amidst the shredding. The guitar tones in this track are particularly delicious. The use of a monotone synth giving the feeling of unpleasant static, or tinnitus after a particularly loud gig, gives an uncomfortable feel the to the track. This is shortly before one of the best breakdowns on the album drops from nowhere. The intense dissonance, slow heavy rhythm and vocals from the depths of hell (at this point the human status of their vocalist is questionable) is just fantastic. On The Hook also excellently delivers with the concluding breakdown. It ends the album with a wonderfully dramatic flourish.
Lamb Of God celebrates the growth they have achieved over their long-standing career. The range of soundscapes present across the tracks really shows off both their compositional talents and the range of influences they draw from to create the distinct Lamb Of God sound.
Track listing:
- Memento Mori
- Checkmate
- Gears
- Reality Bath
- New Colossal Hate
- Resurrection Man
- Poison Dream (featuring Jamey Jasta)
- Routes (featuring Chuck Billy)
- Bloodshot Eyes
- On The Hook
LAMB OF GOD is:
Randall Blythe – Vocals
Mark Morton – Guitar
Willie Adler – Guitar
John Campbell – Bass
Art Cruz – Drums
LAMB OF GOD online:
http://instagram.com/lambofgod
Today, Lamb Of God released their music video for “Gears”, check it out below:
