By Robin Ianson
Despite any implications their name may carry, Lamb of God are not some wussy, hand-clapping gospel group helping lost souls find their way. Lamb of God are one of heavy metal’s current powerhouses and are back to bust some skulls on their newest release, Sacrament.
LoG seem to subscribe to the policy: “Don’t mess with success.” Sacrament bears a strong resemblance to their break-out album, Ashes of the Wake. Vocalist D. Randall Blythe’s power has continued to grow with each successive album and unlike other death metal vocalists, it’s easy to understand him as he roars and growls throughout.
The guitars and drums are technically complex and incredibly precise on every song, but this proves to be Sacrament‘s greatest weakness. LoG focused so much on writing technically challenging music they never bothered to figure out how to fit everything together. The end result is Franken-songs with killer riffs and devastating drumming, but no feeling of cohesiveness.
Sacrament is LoG’s first real misstep, but even after stumbling they are miles ahead of the competition.