Lamb Of God - Wrath

Lamb Of God - Wrath

Release date: February 23, 2009

Lamb Of God are nothing if not consistent.  The Virginia-based quintet has been churning out solid chunks of explosive metal for much of the past decade, and their tightly-focused, hard-hitting approach has earned them near-legendary status in modern metal circles, inspiring a following of like-minded groups and leaving an indelible impression on the American heavy music scene.  Lamb Of God have been continually refining their approach with each release, while remaining faithful to their original sound so as not to alienate their fan base.  It’s to be expected, then, that Wrath, their sixth full-length record, delivers the goods - and it does not disappoint.

Taking a page from the books of many classic metal albums before it, Wrath begins with a deceptively subdued passage of acoustic guitar.  But don’t be fooled.  The mayhem begins soon, and once Lamb Of God’s well-oiled metal machine kicks into full gear, it simply does not stop.  As the instrumental intro “The Passing” gives way to the album’s first proper song, “In Your Words,” the listener is bombarded by riff after hammering riff.  The band’s guitar duo of Willie Adler and Mark Morton have become masters of delivering intense, memorable guitar riffs, and their performances on Wrath are as tight as ever.  And Chris Adler is at the top of his game as one of the most impressive metal drummers active today, following and embellishing upon every chugging note played by the guitars with dexterity and muscle.  As a whole, the band seems to have really cut loose in the writing and recording process this time around, pulling out all the stops and letting no good idea go to waste.  This is perhaps best evidenced by “Contractor,” which starts at a breakneck pace before transitioning into a fist-pumping chorus and in turn giving way to one of the album’s most intense blasts of molten groove-metal in the song’s bridge.  “Fake Messiah,” “Set To Fail,” “Choke Sermon,” and any number of other tracks display the band’s prowess in similar fashion.

Wrath isn’t quite perfect, though.  Vocalist Randy Blythe has the unenviable job of making his lyrics heard over the unending maelstrom of noise created by his bandmates, and although he performs admirably, his Phil Anselmo-meets-Rob Zombie bark can get grating at times.  A bit more melody, especially in the choruses, would go a long way toward making the material here even more memorable.  But as a whole, the album provides such a satisfying listening experience that this shortcoming can be forgiven.  If no-frills, high-octane, pulverizing modern metal is what you’re looking for, Wrath offers more than enough headbang for your buck.

4/5

Standout Tracks:

• “Contractor”
• “In Your Words”
• “Fake Messiah”
• “Reclamation”