Lamb Of God are back with a new self-titled album that is definitely worthy of the name “Lamb Of God.” The effort is the band’s first full-length in five years and their first to feature drummer Art Cruz, who does a masterful job at filling the void left by Chris Adler.
“Memento Mori” opens the record with a slow intro before launching into the type of crushing track that one would expect from the group. This intensity continues as songs like “Checkmate” and “Gears” crush your skull.
Those tracks give way to one of the album’s highlights, “Reality Bath.” The song is catchy as hell and it has the potential to become a fan-favorite for years to come.
After “Reality Bath,” the album continues to deliver with the pummeling “New Colossal Hate” and the dark sounding “Resurrection Man,” before offering fans some awesome guest appearances. Those include Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta, who brings the heat on “Poison Dream,” and Testament’s Chuck Billy, who strengthens the chorus on the thrashy “Routes.”
From this point, the record moves towards the end with “Bloodshot Eyes.” The heavy and melodic track keeps the listener on edge before the finale, “On The Hook,” takes them down with one last dose of aggression.
All in all, Lamb Of God’s eponymous album is pure, unadulterated metal from a band that have been killing it for nearly three decades.