Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake

Genre metal Publisher Epic Records External Links Lamb Of God Epic Records

s there still a mainstream metal scene out there? Because if there is, then Lamb of God's Ashes of the Wake has arrived right on time. By mainstream metal, I'm not talking about Limp Bizkit or Staind. Only those receiving child support payments from Fred Durst care whether Limp Bizkit has any cache anymore. No, this is more about the 1980s version of Metallica and the 1990s version of Pantera, bands that have worshipful fan bases and never gave the appearance that being a rock star got in the way of a slamming riff. They are also bands that are clearly extreme without getting way out there, no symphonic black metal, not too fast, disturbing but not too much so, with reasonably relatable lyrics. Lamb of God fits this bill.

Guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler play intense, chugging, relentless, mathematical riffs that have a way of getting metalheads and six-string technocrats off at the same time. Double kick drums from Chris Adler storm along like impending doom. The production, credited to Machine, is pure in spirit and not the least bit murky.

The lyrics are filled with dark imagery that is clued in on current events, but timeless in a general metal sense at the same time. For example, in "Now You've Got Something to Die For," lead singer Randy Blythe sings, "Bombs to set the people free/Blood to feed the dollar free." One can construe the song as both an anti-Bush diatribe and also an anti-war song in general.

Vengeance full and complete is the way out of one's self-loathing according to Lamb of God. "Your beatings will continue until my morale improves," Blythe sings in "Remorse Is for the Dead."

The metal mainstream didn't just bang its collective head, it nodded it.