Along with the re-release of ‘As The Palaces Burn’, which was originally released a decade before, Metal fore-runners Lamb Of God also released a special ‘Making Of’ DVD for the album too. A little treat for their long-time fans, it marks the struggles and personal battles conflicted during the making of one of the 2,000’s most

important albums. It is the perfect companion piece that is wonderful along side the re-released remastered/remixed edition of ‘As The Palaces Burn’. This is not the first time Lamb Of God have created one of these DVD’s but this is by far one of their most insightful.

Explaining the personal conflicts and the difficulties they encountered during the making of the album, this DVD goes into great detail about the whole idea behind the album that would be considered one of their greatest works in years to come. It also charts the highs and lows that were scattered throughout the entire album making process, allowing fans to get a better understanding of the bands growth throughout the duration of making the album.

What makes this such a unique experience is that this is something that was released ten years after the album first came out, showing us how much the band has truly grown over the years. It also allows out-siders of the band, and even the Metal community, to see what truly goes on behind closed doors of what is one of the most extreme genres of music formed. This helps to highlight the anger and hatred the band felt towards the U.S government after the incidents that occurred on September 11th, 2001, a prominent subject on the album.

It features interviews with the band, Devin Townsend (whom originally produced the album) and other personnel involved with the album. But what makes this so amazing is that it helps highlight the changes the band has made since the albums release, touching upon subjects such as the addiction to alcohol Blythe once had and how those times still haunt him and also the trial that Blythe faced in Czech for the manslaughter of a fan. All of these are touched upon to show how much impact this album has had on both the band, their families, their fans and on modern Metal as a whole. Being something that was filmed years after the original album was released makes this a special release that is not only for Metalheads, but for people who have a passion for music as a whole.

This is by far one of the most in-depth music documentaries yet and the bands personal best. It captures the band and the highest point of the career facing some of the hardest times of their lives whilst recapturing the magic and momentum they felt when making that pinnacle album. It is in-your-face, shocking and upsetting that helps to show a band that has endured so much. ‘As The Palaces Burn’ was the album that put Lamb Of God on the map, helped further by ‘Ashes Of The Wake’, with their fifth album, ‘Sacrament’, solidifying their title as heavy-weights of modern Metal, but yet it was also so much more than that.

It was an album that had so much to offer but never fully delievered due to production and was something that really made the band begin to mature as a unit. This DVD helps show that, making it a highly important piece of the Special Edition release of ‘As The Palaces Burn’. Whether you love the band, love Metal or just love music, this DVD will open your eyes and will let you into the minds of ordinary people dealing with some of hardest decisions in their life. This is a great mix between the story of the album and the long process the band endured during its production and the struggles they face years after its first release. In-depth, moving and fascinating, this is everything a ‘Making Of’ DVD should be. Purely wonderful.

10/10

- Asa

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AuthorJordan Mohler
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Qello, the premier digital streaming service for full-length HD concerts and music documentaries on-demand, is unlocking the Lamb of God As the Palaces Burn documentary for anyone to watch for free from November 11th through the 25th here: http://qello.com/centerstage/lambofgodqello

The album is available now on iTunes: http://bit.ly/Palaces10 http://amzn.to/1h9wW1F.

Posted
AuthorJordan Mohler
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Lamb Of God are one of the biggest Metal bands in recent years. Controversial, heavy and mesmerizing, they’re one of the most influential Metal bands to have spawned since the likes of Metallica, Pantera and Iron Maiden and have only seemed to progress with each album they release.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of one of their most critically acclaimed albums to date, an album that inspired many artists and influenced some of the greatest Metal albums released over the last ten years. This remixed, remastered version of ‘As The Palaces Burn' is something for the fans to relish in as the tracks sound better than ever and an assortment of bonus content.

The album begins with ‘Ruin’, a track that is fast and heavy. It is a killer opening, filled with chuggy riffs, epic and complex drumming, shredding bass-lines and Randy’s unique vocal abilities. From the outset, you can hear the vast difference between sound quality from this remixed edition to the original version. Everything is heavier, sharper and more crisp. The mix seems a little more tight and things you may not have noticed before hand appear from nowhere.

Every little detail can be heard, providing a richer, more fulfilling album to listen to. Tracks such as ‘11th Hour’, ‘A Devil In God’s Country’, ‘Blood Junkie’ and ‘As The Palaces Burn’ really stand out, with ‘11th Hour’ being one of their most acclaimed and popular songs to date.

Everything works nicely, a smooth flow of heavy and furious Metal. With anger and hatred being spit out by Randy Blythe and with everyone else providing the instrumentals that help complete the album, it is an amazing experience that seeps into your mind. The lyrics are full of hatred that is aimed at the US government, questioning their motives and facing the subject of 9/11 (something daring seeming as the event took place just two years earlier).

People despised the album for it being so daring but it proved to be an essential album that helped influence so many other artists, including Machine Head, with ‘As The Palaces Burn’ helping to inspire their latter album, ‘Through The Ashes Of Empires’, released one year after Lamb Of God’s masterpiece. After the usual tracks from the original album, you get three unreleased demo tracks for ‘Ruin’, ‘As The Palaces Burn’ and ‘Blood Junkie’. These are the perfect companions for a tenth anniversary, showing the progression of these particular songs.

Fans will revel in the bliss of these demos and in the perfection of the entire album itself. Something of a collectors item for all the fans, it serves its purpose and does it well. The mix and the mastering is well handled, making sure every little thing can be heard providing an amazing experience for its listeners. It is something to give back to the fans and proves why this band are one of the biggest Metal bands in recent history. It is damn near remarkable.

With chuggy bass, precision drumming, electrifying riffs and vocals to wake the dead, this is something to behold and revel in its beauty. The original album was, and still is, amazing but this really helps bring it to the forefront, showing everyone just how good it is. It’s understandable why the band are as big as they are now, with this album alone proving their masterclass. Some hail it as their masterpiece, others say it was the first album that truly showed how good Lamb Of God are.

Whatever your opinion, there is no denying that this album is as beautiful as it is heavy, as shocking as it is amazing, as influential as it is controversial. It is inspiring whilst it makes you want to smash everything in sight. Now, what else would you want from a Metal album?

10/10

- Asa