CD Reviews

Lamb Of God | Resolution

Epic/Roadrunner (2012)

By DANIEL BROCKMAN | March 21, 2012

3.0 Stars

Lamb of God, like the actual lamb of God, have existed seemingly for the purpose of expiating sins — in this case, the sins of baggy-pants late-'90s groove metal. Their tight-fisted and galloping ur-riffing has shaken many a dreadlock since the days when they forsook their prior existence as Burn the Priest, shrieking a pathway to the hearts of metalheads worldwide without bowing at the altar of '80s thrash. On this, their seventh long-player, they continue their heads-down pummeling, all buoyed by the sprightly ping-pong bounce of drummer Chris Adler and the ferocious bile-spewing blearghhhhh! of vocalist Randy Blythe. Despite jibes to the contrary, for this band of down-tuned, mushroom-cloud-laying motherfuckers, the results do not all sound the same. Sure, you get the trademark Lamb of God sonic signifiers in frenzied chug-a-thons like "Guilty" and "Cheated." But you also have the hoedown-breakdown Southern strategy of "To the End," the dynamic caterwaul of "Ghost Walking," and the mournful march of strings-laden album closer "King Me." It may be just another platter of product from this Richmond, Virginia, crew, fit for mosh pit incitements, but it's also a harrowing and hypnotic package of wound-up, meticulously arranged aggro-bombs by a veteran team of low-end hatemongers.

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