Lamb of God – As the Palaces Burn (Prosthetic Records)
This is the best metal album of the year 2003. It’s just that simple. Remember how “Reign in Blood” defined thrash metal, and took it to that high point that has practically not been attained ever since? Remember how “Master of Puppets” was the most awesome heavy metal release you’d ever heard? Remember how “Rust in Piece” took technical speed metal (state-of-the-art) and made it likeable? Well, this is the equivalent of all those records for my generation. I know, that’s some mighty high company, but trust me, years from now people will refer to this era in music as the “post-ATPB years” and anything before the release of this CD will be pretty much forgotten, shamefully hanging its head under the towering statue that is this band on this release. These guys from Richmond, VA, formerly known as Burn the Priest, are at the forefront of the American thrashcore movement, a movement that combines the best elements of death metal, thrash metal, hardcore, and a hard-ass punk attitude. Growled, NWOSDM vocals; blistering, thrashy, original, catchy, melodic riffing; badass bass; drumming that sounds just simply un-fucking-believable; equal dashes of hardcore and Pantera, time changes all over the place; great musicianship and a sense of humour. These guys have it all. And they do it all so well. Lyrics cover a wide range of topics, from politics (title track) to substance abuse (“11th Hour”) to our current, less-than-illustrious president (“Blood Junkie”) to good ol’ Southern hospitality (“A Devil in God’s Country”). Like I said, this is a perfect metal album. Definitely better than their last, although not by much, the vocals on this are a little more intelligible and the focus seems to have shifted in favor of the guitars. The bass is still there, and the drums are thundering. Devin Townsend produced this, and he gave it this thick, dark, moody sound to it, so that even guitar solos sound rich and warm and just dripping with sludge. Not a second of filler here, not a wasted note, not a word out of place. This is just a barrage of intense, malevolent emotions. This is so fucking good! If you are at all into metal, play this. And if you’re not, this CD will make you hate metal because it’s so brutal and inaccessible, so stay away, meek poseurs! By the way, I pre-ordered the CD a good month before it was released, and since it arrived I haven’t stopped playing it. It’s just that good, you know?


Tracks:
1) The soundtrack to the apocalypse wastes no time with a mellow, acoustic intro and instead just blasts into you. It’s got double bass galore, and one of the most amazing breakdowns in the history of metal at the –1:15 mark. Godly, I swear. It segues very perfectly into...
2) ...this awesome motherfucking riff-fest of a monumental achievement. Short, to the point, and with a great message. Read the lyrics. Again, great breakdown, with a classic (if somewhat clichéd), vocal part after it. Check out the vocals at the –0:44 mark; the growl/rasp/choke/gag sound he makes gives me goose bumps.
3) More awesome riffs, and one of the best guitar solos in recent history, courtesy of the legendary Chris Poland himself. When I heard that solo, I swear I soiled myself. After which I paused for a moment to thank God for showing me that metal is still alive and well. Once again, there’s this stop-n-go piece here that makes one shake his head in disbelief.
4) A haunting fucker of a song about alcohol abuse and how it leads to other things, with lyrics that will make you cry if you’ve ever even known someone who’s dealt with such issues. More sick breakdowns, followed by sick pummeling riffs.
5) This is another song that takes the idea of a hard triplet layered over a piercing, high-end guitar pinch to make a haunting song. Something about this grabs me like nothing else, and it’s strange because the lyrics take a turn for the worse towards hardcore, tough-guy type stuff, but they work, and the song is just really, really good.
6) More of the same formula, but it’s not repetitive, not by a long shot. This is also about substance abuse (“Watch the broken common man/Drown his sorrows/At unhappy hour”). FCCs all over the place, though, so, DAMN! That’s followed by total Phil Anselmo worship vocal work and a great harmony part, plus a super-cool solo.
7) Another ripper, starts out fast and metal, never lets go of you. Towards the end, you’ll think you’re hearing some keyboards, but I assure you there are no keyboards on this CD, they’re just guitars processed through some strange FX.
8) Galloping guitars, ripping double bass drums, sick bass, and vocals that are as harsh as ever. It becomes really fast and angry sounding at times, and, well, even faster and angrier other times.
9) Sick! A song about Bush, the idiot son. It starts out all fast and slick with some nice guitar squeals and whispered/spoken vocals. Vocals are delivered in a slow tempo, while the music is more fast-paced. Absolutely scathing lyrics (“Retribution or vengeance, it matters not which/As long as the pig stays on top of the ladder of bones his father has built”). I think I hear some Slayer influences here, too. FCC (easily bleeped out “shit” at –1:15).
10) Last song on the CD starts out with the only mellow moments of the whole record, a slow, moving arpeggiated chord that builds up for 50 seconds into a slow, thundering, heavy groove with some pained vocals and lyrics and more of the layering I spoke of earlier. What follows is another excellent breakdown, and then the song picks up speed with an ultra-fast and cool riff, and it’s just so fucking heavy. Listen to what’s he saying, it’s just so emotional.
VERDICT: Duh, add this motherfucker. And let’s get it in the top 10.