Skip to main content

IN REVIEW: Lamb of God - "VII: Sturm Und Drang"


Whereas most metal bands heading into their seventh album (counting their 1999 album as Burn the Priest, this is actually Lamb of God's eighth, but hey it's their title not mine) have either settled into a stagnant role in an effort to keep their fans happy or drifted away from metal in an effort to find new ones, Lamb of God find themselves in a more peculiar position. Through a tragic episode that saw a fan die and vocalist Randy Blythe incarcerated and charged with manslaughter, Lamb of God unwittingly have a lot riding on their seventh album; through the inevitable publicity Blythe's indictment brought to the band, there are a lot of ears paying attention to this record, curious as to what the band would do to respond.

As it turns out, all that turmoil acted as a very efficient means of inspiration; in addition to a recently published book, several tracks make passing references to the ordeal (512, the album's lead single, is named after the jail cell Blythe occupied in the Czech Republic). It also sees the band stretching out their sound ever so slightly while staying true to their brutal core; most notable in this regard is Overlord, which finds Blythe singing instead of screaming over a moody, Alice in Chains-like dirge before exploding into a crushing midsection that provides more typical Lamb of God fare. A couple of guest performances help the band reach as well; Deftones' Chino Moreno appears on Embers, lending his ethereal bellow and painting a pummeling song just a bit darker, while Dillinger Escape Plan's Greg Puciato (who seems to be everywhere these days) brings an otherworldly presence to the slow burning Torches.

Even on these least typical Lamb of God songs progress, the leash is snapped and we return to what we've come to expect from the group but, whereas I may have rolled my eyes at the approach five years ago, the performances here are more inspired and offer more in the way of substance than we may have gotten had this album been released five years ago. This is unquestionably a Lamb of God record, and one of their finest, to boot; what makes it so is the older and wiser Lamb of God we get on this record, the band that's been through some shit but come out of it driven rather than beaten.

July 24, 2015 • Epic
Highlights 512 • Overlord • Embers

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Year in Rock 2025

  Alright, I've got some explaining to do.   By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but:   a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...
Post a Comment
Read more

Year in Rock 2014: And the Winners Are...

It's been a long year, and another great one for rock n' roll. While the pop charts were overrun with barely legals obsessed with their asses, rock soldiered on undeterred even as pundits (hell, in some cases even rockers themselves) mourned the genre. Sure, rock didn't dominate the money game in 2014, but that shouldn't evoke sad nostalgia and eulogies. Even for as little perceived impact rock music made, a hell of a lot happened if people had only paid attention. From grizzled vets adding jewels to their crown (Springsteen, Petty) to new beginnings (Against Me!, Antemasque) to happy returns (Faith No More, The Tea Party) and all points in between, rock continued to thrive, evolve and thrill in 2014. Enough talk. It's winning time. Your Year in Rock winners for 2014 are...
Post a Comment
Read more

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #10-1

Now we're getting somewhere; the top ten, where there are no duds or mids, only bangers. Also, no more teasing it out; let's wrap this up!  What I've learned this year from my ten faves this year is that it is indeed still possible for a dude approaching his fifties to more or less stay up to date on the new school. Of course, there are some listed here that got a boost from playing tribute to the old school, but there is an undercurrent happening in rock that points to the future. But, I'm getting ahead of myself; here come the champs. 10 MILITARIE GUN Life Under the Gun June 23, 2023 • Loma Vista Highlights Very High Will Logic Never Fucked Up Once Rising from the ranks of the still-potent L.A. hardcore scene, the debut record from Militarie Gun (following a trio of EPs) bears a dash of polish that's expected with backing from a larger label; the tension and energy remain, though, resulting in one of the catchiest hardcore albums I can think of in recent years. 9 ...
Post a Comment
Read more