ARTIST: Lamb of God
TITLE: As the Palaces Burn
YEAR RELEASED: 2003
CHART ACTION: #64
SINGLES: Ruin, 11th Hour, As the Palaces Burn
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Fans of 00’s Metal sure know this.
LINEUP: Randy Blythe, Mark Morton, Willie Adler, John Campbell, Chris Adler
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Riffs and growls. Riffs and growls.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: The death growl is still there, as are the riffs that don’t just recycle old tropes. Lamb of God’s second album under that moniker consolidates the sound and motif from their first, but really don’t move forward.
Blythe’s growl is menacing, and for some songs it is effective. At times, I think a lighter touch may have been needed, where the melody is more pronounced that just the riffage. The fact that they have melody is a step forward in this genre.
If you want some new riffage, yeah, this band’s for you.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: After a lot of tinkering early in their career, this version of Lamb of God has remained constant.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: Three demos are appended.
GRADE: B: It’s great in small to mid-size does, but is wears on you over time