Lamb of God
Ashes of the Wake
Epic Records
Lamb of God is a fantastic metal band, period. In many ways, they represent the modern day equivalent of what Metallica was back in 1986: an awesome metal band that’s just a bit too aggressive and tough to garner radio airplay, yet still able to amass a huge fan base. Ashes of the Wake is the culmination of all that Lamb of God can be, when given a quality recording budget.
The main difference fans will notice with Ashes of the Wake is how full and thick the guitars are. Those who’ve heard their now classic As the Palaces Burn will note that, even though it’s a great album, the guitars sound somewhat cheesy and lack fullness. Someone must have told the band, because the guitars on this album completely devastate.
On Ashes of the Wake, Lamb of God floats in the realm between sludge and thrash like true champions. “Hourglass” is a fist-pumper, with its constant, mid-paced double bass and harmonized melodic riffage. “One Gun” is another in the onslaught of double bass driven mid-tempo slaughters, although it sadly features a rather annoying, blazingly hot solo. Lamb of God does speed things up occasionally, as evidenced by “Blood of the Scribe,” which sounds a lot like Seasons in the Abyss-era Slayer.
This album is top notch, grade “A” death metal. The recording quality is immaculate, the riffs and melodies are really creative and it’s just about as dark as can be. This is by far the best record I’ve heard from these guys, and it’s one of my favorites of 2004.
Lamb of God: http://www.lamb-of-god.com
