THE ALBUM OF THE DAY IS…
LAMB OF GOD, AS THE PALACES BURN
Funny to think that it wasn’t that long ago that LOG were playing small clubs, commanding kids to do the “wall of death” and struggling to get their name out to the masses; tonight, they return to the Roseland Ballroom as the elder statesman of the American New Wave. As the Palaces Burn is a strong reminder of how Lamb of God kicked, fought, and earned this top spot. Devin Townsend’s production techniques and Randy Blythe’s pig-squeal vocal performance seem almost quaint compared to last year’s Sacrament, but that doesn’t make this album any less mind-blowingly brutal. The songwriting here is top notch: “Ruin,” “11th Hour,” “Purified,” “For Your Malice,” and the title track are all unforgettable, combining classic elements of thrash and death metal to create something new, unique, and now often copied but never quite duplicated. Meanwhile, the slow, churning anti-religion dirge “Vigil” portends Sacrament‘s epic opener, “Walk With Me In Hell,” and features the most evil sounding Slayer-riff Slayer never wrote; if Mark Morton and Willie Adler’s guitars actually summoned up the devil himself, I’d only be a little surprised. This album is just another jewel in the crown of metal Lamb of God now rightfully wear, and is a must-own for anyone who likes extreme music, period.
-AR
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