Lamb of God - Resolution - 2012
Ok so I know I haven't done a single review of a 2012 album yet. I've been biding my time, and soaking up what I've gotten so far. I thought I'd start this years reviews off with one of my favorite metal bands the one, the only Lamb of God. I've talked about these guys before in the past, and if you know me, you know that LOG gets me off every time I listen to these giants of kick ass metal. So here they are again with another instalment of their particular take on heavy metal, and it does not disappoint.
So Lamb of God have been kicking it since the early 2000's and if you count Burn the Priest even before that. Now since I wanna say The Sacrament they have been steadily climbing the ranks of modern metal giants, and have left a long trail of hell fire behind them. Each album you can hear an evolution of their thunderous, fist pumping tunes, and this one is no different. It seems Resolution keeps in the some of the same sounds as The Wrath that came out in 2009, which was by far one of my favorite records of that year. I remember getting that record and I could barely stay sitting down when any of the songs were playing. Resolution fallows in some of the same vibes as that one. With there acoustic intros to songs like Ghost Walking, and the little I wanna call it an interlude Barbaraosa.
I think that with this record LOG have shown their ability to continue to stick it to the fans and give them what they want. There is nothing out there like Lamb of God. They stand alone in their style of metal. Now that I've listened to LOG for a while now I can hear imitations of their style in other bands, and they always seem to be some sort of bastardization of Mark Morton, and Willie Adler's amazing guitar chops. These guys really know their way around the guitar, and know how to keep it fresh and new for every single tune, on every single album. The guitar sound is like I said carrying some of the same sounds we heard on The Wrath. I think there are more solos on this record than on any other record. Stand out solos anyways. There are some of the best guitar techniques I have ever heard these guys play before on Resolution.
Of course the drumming is as punchy, and driving as ever. Christ Adler like I've said in the past is one of the best drummers out there in metal right now, and possibly music in general. He brings such a speed that I feel is only matched by guys like Dave Lambardo, Thomas Haake, Gene Hogland, and Hellhammer. So to be put up with these skin gods is something to take pride in. I'd have to say if there was in instrument that I really liked more than any other in LOG it would have to be the drums. I just get so pumped when I hear the drums come in on any of LOG tunes. Like on Ashes of the Wake the song One Gun which is by far my favorite tune. The intro is amazing but I really just start jumping around, and going nuts when the verse starts and you here this relentless assault on the bass drum, and the snare hits just really get me banging me head hard. I'm having trouble typing this as I am starting to do that right now. I'd better turn it to a different track, if I want to finish this today. Hahaha.
So I read in Guitar World the article they did on Willie and Mark which was a great read about two guitarist really proving themselves as icons in the guitar realm, but while still having the values, and integrity they were brought up with. The little poster that they always give was amazing also. One side had a great LOG drawing that I really wanted to put up, and on the other side had a picture of the classic very iconic Jerry Garcia 1979 Doug Irwin "Tiger" guitar. Why must they do that. Make it so hard to choose which side to put up. Also the article in Revolver about the band, I think it was the same month was also really good. I'm really glad for Randy's sobriety. I think any fan of Lamb of God knows that they were built on being the band you didn't want to be in because of the drinking, drugs, and fighting. As we all saw on their movie Killadelphia, and Walk With Me In Hell. Which is amazing by the way. So I'm glad he's not beating himself up with booze. It really does seem to come out in the record for sure. His lyrics seem to have a little more conviction, and purpose. Not that they didn't in the past. I mean come on Ashes of the Wake has some of the most motivating, and fighting words in LOG history, but it just seems to be driving home a little better on this record. No one can scream like Randy Blythe. Many try to incorporate the guttural, and high pitch scream together and there are only a few that I think can do it along with Randy for instance the main one that comes to mind for me is Trevor Strnad from The Black Dahlia Murder. His vocals are amazing as well. But there you go I could only come up with one right off the bat. Oh sure I could probably come up with a few more, but I didn't have to think about that one, and that's the point. With Randy you don't have to worry about his vocal delivery. It will be amazingly brutal, and diverse like he has come to do on every record.
Now one thing that I would say negative about it. I know I know something bad right. No way. Well it may not be the albums fault it is a problem I have with the group I guess. My kind of metal these days is metal that is forever changing and moving through many different sound scape's, and styles of music. For instance Opeth, Daylight Dies, Mastodon, or Baroness. Maybe I've just grown a little more in my limitations. So for me this record is falling short in that since. I love Lamb of God for what Lamb of God does, but that's really what I've come to know and expect of Lamb of God. Which is a let down for me. I want to be blown away with something completely new and fresh, and these guys just keep delivering the same LOG drive. Which isn't bad by any means, but just for me will begin to get stail over time. Unlike Opeth, or some of the other guys that are doing things like them. So that really isn't a fault of the albums sound, production, musicianship, and lyrics. It's just what we've come to know Lamb of God for. Now for the di-hard fan that wouldn't be a problem, but for the more experimental fan it might be. If this record would've come out 4 or 5 years ago when I was really heavy into Lamb of God my thoughts might have been a little different.
So at the end of all this. The crazy ride you get out of any Lamb of God record. One thing has to be said every time. What the hell was that, and how do I get more. Resolution does not disappoint like I said, and I think it will please many fans of the new generations of fans wanting more as well. Me I will continue to love LOG as much as I always have. Great job once again guys, and I hope to see you again soon. It's always a fun ride at a Lamb of God show, so I can't wait to go back and head bang to them again. You know pay my respects. What should I review next. I think I'll do either Soulfy's new one, or the Corrosion of Conformity which is amazing by the way. So until next time. Stay hard, stay heavy. Oh I guess I have to give this record a score ummm I'd give it a strong 8.5
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