Since they first clawed their way into the collective consciousness of metal fans across the world, Lamb Of God have become something of a by-word for pedal-to-the-floor aggression. Their most recent album, February's Wrath will do nothing to damage that reputation.
The eleven tracks contained within are an invigorating blast of raw-throated venom and are so macho they could swagger around steelworks with girders balanced on their shoulders.
See You At The Party Richter
Just listening to the opening caterwauling of the first single Set To Fail is an experience in itself. Drummer Chris Adler pounding the skins as if he had just come home from a particularly bad day at the office to find them smoking his cigars, and wearing his dressing gown. Guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler light up the skies with some explicit fretwork while John Campbell practically strangles his bass with fury.
Thirty seconds in, they're joined by Randy Blythe's pitbull vocals screaming the surprisingly catchy lyrics. By the time the momentum has carried forward onto the punishing Contractor it's clear that success has not dented their passion for all things heavy and they could be on to the best album of their careers to date, even if only three songs have gone by.
I Ain't Got Time To Bleed
All bands react to increased sales in different ways of course, but if they were under any pressure to tone down and diversify with melodic choruses, hit singles and ballads, it doesn't show. If anything they have become even more angry than before, the likes of Fake Messiah, Dead Seeds and the monumental Reclamation seething with all the muscle bound, fist-swinging nastiness of their earlier work.
However, much like Devildriver, Lamb Of God walk the line between light and shade very well. The tempo may stay roughly the same throughout but the songs are distinctly different and varied enough to stop it devolving into one neck-snapping volley. Rather they have developed and improved as song-writers enough to craft one instantly accessible modern metal record without comprising for a moment.
Let Off Some Steam Bennett
All in all, one very impressive record with a high replay value. It manages to be more manly than eating rare steak while listening to Pantera but is far from one-dimensional. This is a closed-fist in the face of American society, smashing through Guantanamo Bay, organised religion and social injustices with unstoppable rage. And with Broken Hands, they've got a potential hit-single to make all their contemporaries weep with envy.
