Lamb of God - Sacrament Review [2]
Posted by Korry Hill on 09.02.2006
Is satan on his way to get us? Its possible. With a big release already from Slayer and one coming from Cradle of Filth later this year, Lamb of God throw their devil horns into the mix. Find out what kind of evil they have in store.
Background
Hailing from dark nether regions of .... Richmond, Virginia, Lamb of God have quickly become one of thrash metals top acts. Beginning in 1998 with the band name and self-titled album Burn The Priest, they decided to switch to their present name quickly thereafter. The year 2000 sparked their Lamb of God debut, New American Gospel to much acclaim. A couple of years of touring followed, then in 2003 came their sophomore album As The Palaces Burn quickly followed by their major label debut Ashes of the Wake and a reissue of Burn the Priest in 2004. A year later saw two more releases from Lamb of God. This time a live offering Killadelphia both in dvd and later in cd format. With some Ozzfest appearances and many headlining acts under their belts, Lamb of God are becoming more widely known. So how else to keep the metal train going? Put out another epic album.
The Album
Sacrament is the epitomy of a thrash album. With Chris Adler on the heart thumping double-kick drums, John Campbell on bass, screaming in tongues vocalist Randy Blythe and wicked guitar duo of Mark Morton and Willie Adler, these guys mean business. On their fourth studio recording they hold nothing back. With flatout likeness to 80's thrash a la Pantera and Slayer, the boys are bringing you their all and it shows. 'Again we Rise' has Pantera's 'Walk' written all over it and 'Redneck' sans vocals could also be mistaken for a Pantera track. The album is hard hitting from the beginning to end.
Randy Blythe's vocals continue to improve from earlier albums. Not to say they were bad to begin with but range and depth are important to a good vocalist. He has been working with a vocal coach to help get him prepared for Sacrament. His range can be noticed on 'Forgotten (Lost Angels)' where his vocals have a Rob Zombie like gruffness and then rise to his normal shrieks without strain. Blythe still has room for improvement but he is definitely getting better.
The lyrical content on the album is a definite attack on Christianity. In ‘Blacken the Cursed Sun,’ there is a priest-like voice asking questions like “Does your God hold a place for us?” and “Can these sins even be forgiven?” to the response of a huge “HELL NO!!” There are also lyrical refences to religion in ‘Redneck,’ the band’s first single. Blythe gives us a Sunday School lesson gone wrong. “A bad preacher for the pin-eyed congregation, It must be easy to loathe” doesn’t get any more blatant than that.
My Two Cents
Now comes a new part of my album reviews titled My Two Cents. This is where I give my personal thoughts on the album I'm reviewing. Lamb of God's Sacrament is a great album but one I couldn't listen to on a constant basis. Its a great driving album though, with the rhythmic drumming and bass blaring through the stock speakers in your 1986 Dodge 600 SE. The demonic vocals are not my cup of tea but Blythe pulls them off well on this album so they don't seem so harsh. The guitars are great. You couldn't ask for more on a thrash album. If you are to buy a metal album this year, this one is definitely in my top 3. I totally recommend it.
The 411: Sacrament is a great addition to any metal collection. Even if you aren't a huge metal fan, but dabble occasionally trying to find something new, then this album is right up your alley. The guys have great chemistry and Randy Blythe’s lyrics are direct and to the point. There is a deluxe limited edition version of this disc available which has a near hour and a half documentary of the making of the album. I recommend getting this version because it draws you closer to the band and you can see where they are coming from as a band. However, if you can't get past the demonic screaming vocals, or the jabs at religion, I urge you to stay away as this album is full of it.
