Lamb of God
"As the Palaces Burn"
(Prosthetic Records)
Picking up right where "New American Gospel" left off, Lamb of God pushes the limit and blurs the lines between thrash and straight-ahead heavy metal with mind bending guitar licks and head spinning double-bass work. Despite the heavy reliance on the fast-paced tempo, there's never a doubt this band would ever stray into the realm of thrash. I'm not sure if it's the gut-busting vocals, or the down-tuned chords reminiscent of Slayer, from the moment I was exposed to this album I could tell Lamb of God was something big ... like a new Pantera.
Opening with "Ruin," the band immediately displays its no-nonsense approach to the music. Nothing special, just straight-ahead metal. It's songs like the title track, "11th Hour" or "Blood Junkie" that really show off what LoG is about. The band seems to have the total package: blistering guitar work and intricate, yet deceivingly simple, song structures; the way the group's influences (Megadeth, Pantera, Slayer) seem to shine through in every way but in no way at all -- which is to say you can tell those influences exist, but at the same time it's as if LoG invented metal and you're hearing it for the first time.
The hits never let up: "Vigil," "Purified," "A Devil in God's Country" ... each song is as intense as the one before it ... and then, before you're ready for the metallic bliss to end, it does. "As the Palaces Burn" is one of those few metal releases that is instantly addictive and never gets old upon replay.
This album is already a classic. It's the equivalent of Pantera's "Vulgar Display of Power." Pantera exceeded expectations with the follow-up, "Far Beyond Driven." Lamb of God did the same thing. The group released its classic, "As the Palaces Burn," and then followed up with the equally impressive "Ashes..." only a year later. If the band were to follow the Pantera mold, the music will just continue to get louder, harder and faster. And that's what is so exciting: no one knows what's next, but we all know it will be amazing.
