Lamb of God are one of the best heavy groove metal bands around. These guys know that keeping the groove and swing in their tunes is what keeps metal interesting. A lot of modern bands just don’t know how to do that. It helps when you have an outstanding drummer like Chris Adler. Man, this guy is not human! I don’t mind the Cookie Monster vocals when the grooves and riffs are good, and musically, these guys are on the money.
This album actually came out in 2004, and this is the 15th anniversary edition with four extra tracks. Laid To Rest blows your brains to one side with an epic riff and groove to swing your head to, or if you getting old like me, use a cushion. Hourglass has an old school heavy metal feel to it, but it’s the groove and guitar that get you on this one. What an opening riff and groove to Now You’ve Got Something To Die For. Big Pantera vibes! The ending is both old school thrash and huge fat chugga grooverama. Monstrous tune! This gets the votes for favourite track. The Faded Line closes out Side 1. Just listen to the double kicks! Nuts or what!?
Omertà opens up Side 2 and the pace is slow but this sounds so damn heavy. Killer guitar tone! Blood Of The Scribe is breakneck speed thrash with superb riffage. Maximum chuggas at the intro to One Gun. The double kick frenzy gives a false impression of the speed of the song. It is soooo heavy! The onslaught continues with Break You and closes out the first disc.
What I’ve Become blasts into Side 3 with maximum old school thrash riffage. Ashes Of The Wake is up next and is a kick ass instrumental with guest soloists, Alex Skolnick, Chris Poland, Mark Morton, and of course Willy Adler. Lots of shred with epic heavy grooves. The main album closes out with Remorse Is For The Dead. After a really chill intro, the heaviness drops like a bomb with lots of groove changes and monster riffs.
The first of the bonus tracks is Another Nail For Your Coffin which was a B-side to a single. Deep staccato chuggas mirrored with with the drums, it’s intense. The last three tracks are demos of Laid To Rest, Ashes Of The Wake, and Remorse Is For The Dead. A lot better than those pointless etchings.
Great band great album.
9/10 from The Grooveman.
