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Lamb of God: Sacrament


Pray For Blood
Pray For The Cleansing
Pray For The Flood
Pray For the End of This Wide Awake Nightmare!

So begins track number one "Walk With Me in Hell" from the latest platter from one of the leaders of the new wave of American heavy metal, Lamb of God. Two quick questions came to mind with the release of this new album:


1) Can Lamb of God possibly top their last gem, Ashes of the Wake?
2) Could Lamb of God be the heaviest band since Pantera to explode into the Billboard Top 10 Album Chart?

Well, believe me when I say that the answer to both is a resounding yes. Not only is Sacrament a winner on all levels and possibly more well rounded and enjoyable than Ashes of the Wake, but the CD debuted at #8 on the Billboard Album Chart the first week of its release. Quite an accomplishment for a band that plays a style that fuses thrash, metalcore, and death metal into one seriously heavy brew. So just what does make Sacrament such an accomplishment?

For starters, the production of Machine is top notch, crystal clear, bringing out all the little nuances from the drums and bass, and allowing the guitars plenty of room to breathe while still pummeling you over the head. Randy Blythe's vocals are just as brutal as ever, but with a slight melodic edge. The songs are instantly memorable, with plenty of crushing yet catchy guitar riffs from the twin axe heroes Will Adler and Mark Morton, who prove they can shred with the best of them. Check out their technical yet rampaging licks on the bombastic opener "Walk With Me In Hell" and the killer death metal march of "Again We Rise". If you don't think the spirit of Pantera resides somewhere within this band, then take a listen to "Redneck", sure to be a concert favorite for years to come, complete with some of the grooviest riffs ever and Blythe's "I can do a decent Phil Enselmo" impression. Other blistering cuts include the lethal "Foot to the Throat" (a tune with some deliciously evil sounding guitar riffs), Chris Adler's insane drum patterns on the rampaging "Forgotten (Lost Angels)", or the relentless 80's styled thrash of "Beating on Death's Door", which features plenty of aggressive growls from Blythe and a non-stop assualt of intricate power riffage.

That's it in a nutshell-plenty of brutality, complex & heavy guitar work, angry vocals, deep lyrics, and a nice dose of melody. Sacrament is Lamb of God's crowning achievement...so far. I'm sure there's no shortage of quality music left in the tank for future releases, but for now crank up the volume to 11 and groove to the extreme sounds of one of the year's best metal albums.


Track Listing
1. Walk with Me In Hell
2. Again We Rise
3. Redneck
4. Pathetic
5. Foot to the Throat
6. Descending
7. Blacken The Cursed Sun
8. Forgotten (Lost Angels)
9. Requiem
10. More Time to Kill
11. Beating On Deaths Door

Added: October 14th 2006
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:
Related Link: Lamb of God Website
Hits: 4084
Language: english

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» SoT Staff Roundtable Reviews:

Lamb of God: Sacrament
Posted by Ken Pierce, SoT Staff Writer on 2006-10-14 22:58:31
My Score:

Is there any doubt about Lamb Of God being one of the most important and vital of the American Metal bands on the scene today? I would have to say that there isn't when it comes to the manner and delivery of Metal that these guys are dishing out with their new masterpiece Sacrament. There have been references about the band following in the footsteps of or becoming the next Pantera based on the levels of brutality that their music and shows promote. It is not very far from becoming the truth as over and over the band has proven they are nothing less than exemplary at what they do. Opener "Walk With Me In Hell" finds the growling Blythe in command and he seems in better vocal control than on Ashes Of The Wake. I am sure that I will get some flack from this, but I mean it in the sense of overall consistency and strength demonstrated by his voice on every song. The production efforts of Machine make this recording standout all the more and as a result the double guitar shredding of Willie Adler and Mark Morton isn't convoluted but instead is razor sharp. Drummer Chris Adler once again proves he is all about testing the limits on the type of drumming permitted in this brand of Metal. On every track he is providing quick double-bass, intricate fills and thunderous drumming power. The performance he gives on "Descending" plays like a syncopation exercise for the technical drummer. Bass man John Campbell ably holds the whole mechanism together and shows tremendous feel. Beginning to end this is a fantastic album that delivers on numerous levels while at the same time remains very Heavy, intense and brutal as Hell. Despite this level of quality the listener is still recommended to see Lamb Of God in concert to fully understand what the hype is being built up about. Believe me there is not much hype to all this positive press.


With Sacrament, Lamb Of God has shown levels of musical growth and is proving that such growth does not come at the sacrifice of the heaviness of the group. More bands need to pay attention to the way Lamb Of God is mapping out not only their own future, but generations of Metal legions who follow them. Randall Blythe invites you to walk with him in Hell. How many of you are brave enough to accept the invitation?




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