Back on Saturday the 5th we had the Back To The Beginning concert, which was the final live bow for Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. I have a huge post detailing that event here. Today I want to get into a song performed both live at the show and also released in digital studio form afterward in a bit of a surprise freebie.
Lamb Of God were one of the many acts to perform a min-set at the event. The band played their two most beloved songs, Laid To Rest and Redneck, then offered up a cover of Black Sabbath’s treasured song Children Of The Grave. It’s a song that easily could have been in Sabbath’s own set, but Ozzy had to power through both his own solo material and then the Sabbath portion so they kept things a bit shorter.
Much is made of Black Sabbath’s influence on heavy metal and here with Lamb Of God we have a case that illustrates just how long the timeline is. Lamb Of God formed in 1994 (originally known as Burn The Priest) and are now 31 years into their career. They took time to honor Sabbath, who just wrapped up 57 years in the business.
This is a faithful rendition of the original, it does a good job of retaining what makes the original work while also “sounding” like Lamb Of God. The song does suit Lamb Of God very well anyway, with the chug-a-long rhythm working great with LoG’s groove metal blueprint. It’s also interesting to hear vocalist Randy Blythe do more singing than growling here, it’s not something you get everyday.
Heavy metal covers of Black Sabbath songs are a dime a dozen, it’s pretty logical that many bands cover the band at the root of metal. But Lamb Of God offered up a very nice cover of one of Sabbath’s best songs and it commemorates the special event of Ozzy’s retirement wondefully.
This week’s song pick goes back to 2004 and was the opening track from Lamb Of God’s fourth studio album Ashes Of The Wake. The song was the opening track and was also the “feature” song from the album, though it doesn’t seem to have been “officially” recognized as a single. There is a promo CD single around so it did get a standalone release but not terribly widespread.
This was a huge step for Lamb Of God. The band were a part of what was termed the “New Wave of American Heavy Metal” movement alongside bands like Shadows Fall, God Forbid and Killswitch Engage. While those other bands would continue to ply their trades on the metal-centric record labels like Nuclear Blast and Century Media, Lamb Of God had struck a major label deal with Epic Records. It was a huge leap for a group that was working day jobs even through the release of their acclaimed prior album As The Palaces Burn.
As a quick note – the term New Wave of American Heavy Metal is not nearly as developed in a scholarly fashion as the much more familiar New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Thoughts and writings about the American scene are all over the place and can encompass bands from as far back as the 1990’s. But it was commonly used in the early 2000’s for this group of bands.
While Lamb Of God were wrapped up with a newer scene term, the basis of their sound was groove metal. It was a noise struck up by thrash acts like Overkill and Exhorder and made popular by Pantera. Lamb Of God released this album awhile after the bitter dissolution of Pantera and just months before the murder of Dimebag Darrell Abbot. It’s not specifically important to know when discussing today’s song, but it does provide background on Lamb Of God’s ascent during this time.
Laid To Rest is an impossibly brutal song in both music and theme. The core of the song is built around guitarist Mark Morton’s absolutely monstrous riffing. According to this 2020 interview with Louder Sound, Morton worked to incorporate more melodic guitar passages to work in contrast with singer Randy Blythe’s harsh vocals. It’s quite the run that Morton makes through this song on six strings and this new focus on working with guitars as Morton did would lead to a new golden age for Lamb Of God.
The theme of Laid To Rest is a bit buried in vague terms, which was a deliberate act by Morton, who also wrote the lyrics. In the same interview cited above, Morton discussed that the song was about personal issues he was enduring at the time. He covered the specifics of his own issues to dress the song up a bit in a guise that would fit the rest of the album’s general theme, which was taking aim at the Iraq War.
Laid To Rest honesty sounds like a breakup song. It’s not just any kind of breakup, but the harsh, dreadful kind that eats away at your core. Screaming out “destroy yourself – see who gives a fuck” might not be the most healthy way to get over a deep emotional trauma, but hey it works so why not. And while I obviously can’t speculate what Mark Morton’s issues were at the time, I would have to guess that they were along the lines of relationships, but again I don’t know. While very brutal, it can be a cathartic release from any sort of angst or trouble.
But Laid To Rest can also be taken to fit in the context of war – this song could be about someone who was killed and their remaining spirit looking to see their killer handled. There was certainly a lot of aggression and atrocity in the Iraq War and this could be a tragic tale from someone unjustly killed there.
The music video does not offer any more clarity as to meaning – instead, it features the band playing in an empty warehouse of some sort, which was a mandatory shooting location for metal videos in the early 2000’s. Interspersed is footage of a guy running from another guy wearing a red hoodie. At the end of the video, the chaser catches the chasee but then the guy being pursued winds up with the hoodie. The off-screen confrontation could have been a violent one, or perhaps the guy in the red hoodie was simply chasing the other guy to try and sell the hoodie to him. We’ll never know.
For Lamb Of God, Laid To Rest opened the band to a new, wider audience and has become the band’s signature anthem. Ashes Of The Wake would be certified gold in the US and Laid To Rest is the band’s most-played song live. There is stiff competition for that spot as the band’s anthem, as songs like Redneck and Walk With Me In Hell are also up there in popularity, but at the end of the day it appears that Laid To Rest wins that overall battle.
This was all a huge deal for Lamb Of God as they rose out of the independent metal scene and became players on the upper end of the metal market. They became the new kings of groove metal just as the prior occupant of the throne went away. It’s been a monstrous run and it all kicked off with some guitar work and the use of the word fuck.
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This week’s pick is going to turn 17 later this year, which is just screwed if you ask me. Pardon me for a moment while I tend to my joint pain.
Lamb Of God – Sacrament
Released August 22, 2006 via Epic Records
My Favorite Tracks – Walk With Me In Hell, Redneck, Descending
Lamb Of God were riding a high after the splendid reception to their 2004 landmark Ashes Of The Wake. (that Album of the Week post can be found here). Heavy metal as a whole was well on the rise in the mid 2000’s and Lamb Of God were becoming a huge part of the resurgence.
The only real way to go was up, and the band would do just that with their fifth album. Lamb Of God were breaking out of the metal underground and becoming a familiar name across the music landscape as a whole. The album today is 11 songs in 46 minutes so let’s get at it.
Walk With Me In Hell
The opener leaps out with a massive riff and the sense that something beyond just a song is going on here. Guitarist Mark Morton wrote the track knowing he was on to something more and was able to work the chorus into a dedication to his girlfriend, who would later become his wife.
One of the album’s three singles, Walk With Me In Hell exploded out of the gate and became an instant classic. It remains today as one of the band’s signature songs.
Again We Rise
The song is bordering on death metal territory with its insane guitar work and pace. Lyrically it deals with the issue of “modern” US Confederates, or people who praise the losing side of the American Civil War eons after the war ended. This is not a flattering portrayal of that crowd. And the issue would only increase in scope after 2006.
Redneck
The lead single slams in both musically and lyrically. It’s a thunderous groove metal masterclass and a pointed confrontation song. This quickly became a crowd favorite and today sits behind only Laid To Rest as the band’s most recognized song.
While Lamb Of God is often dark and dreary, Redneck is a pretty fun song. The music video is an absolute laugh riot, with the band being booked to play a kid’s birthday party and the hi-jinx that ensue.
Pathetic
Another twisted riff from Mark Morton and some great drumming from Chris Adler shape this next track, which thematically is Randy Blythe screaming at someone who sucks. It’s kind of a connecting theme of this album. Lamb Of God played this song live on Conan O’Brien’s show in early 2007, and it became far more common to see metal acts on the late-night shows after that.
Foot To The Throat
A political track this time, as the band takes aim at politicians and other “powers that be” keeping the rank and file citizens down. The music is as unrelenting as everything else on the album.
Descending
Another brutal track nearly in death metal territory, the song has lyrics purporting to reflect the duality and contradiction of religion, yet unverified sources indicate that the song is really about alcoholism. Either way it’s an album highlight.
Blacken The Cursed Sun
This was the album’s third and final single. The song is a very dark and dreary affair about being at the end of your rope and going out with one final push. There’s a bit of a call and response anti-sermon kind of thing at the end that’s pretty cool.
Forgotten (Lost Angels)
A short but slamming track that is chock full of Morton riffs and takes aim at Los Angeles and the fake and plastic culture. It was reportedly inspired by shady music industry execs. Taking aim at Los Angeles has been a favorite pastime of heavier bands but LoG pull it off in pretty convincing fashion here. This is also a song that invites comparisons to the prior kings of groove metal, that being Pantera.
Requiem
Don’t be fooled by the title – this song is not a requiem from the punishment the album delivers. It’s another song with some religious symbolism and being down and out and trying to go for it one more time after being completely broken. It has a spoken word portion that’s hard to make out in the middle before a bit of soloing. It’s another track where Chris Adler is pounding the piss out of the drums too.
More Time To Kill
This one’s a pretty evil track aimed at someone who is dying but was on the wrong side of the ledger with the narrator. It’s another confrontation, go get bent kind of song. No clue what the story might be behind this one but it’s very hard feelings and not for the faint of heart. Also a bit of black metal style vocals from Randy Blythe here, pretty neat little part.
Beating On Death’s Door
The closing track keeps with the “fuck you” theme, this time it’s about a woman of ill repute who apparently pissed some people off. The song is more aimed at the unlucky sap this woman ended up with. A fittingly brutal end to a brutal album.
Sacrament was a huge success for Lamb Of God. It joined Ashes Of The Wake with a US gold certification for more than 500,000 copies sold. It peaked at number 8 on the Billboard 200 and even higher on several other US subgenre charts. Redneck was nominated for a Grammy in 2007, an award that went to Slayer. Several metal publications had this at or near the top of their year-end lists for 2006, back when print media was still a thing.
While it was the prior album that truly broke Lamb Of God into a wider audience, it felt like Sacrament was their true superstar turn. The band had previously been a part of the wider “New Wave of American Heavy Metal” movement, but by this time had broken free and far wider than the more underground sensibilities of that designation.
And the inevitable comparisons continued for LoG – both fans and detractors noted the “new Pantera” vibe to Lamb Of God, something not really present in their more extreme early days. And on this album those comparisons seemed at least somewhat valid, even if LoG were still their own distinct entity. It’s probably fair to call them the spiritual successors to Pantera’s crown, but LoG are far from a pale imitator of a past revered act.
With Sacrament, Lamb Of God solidified their place on the top of the metal mountain, or maybe scrap heap is more appropriate. They are still going all these years later, through some kind of crazy drama and all the changes in the times. A lot of riffs and a bit of cussing can take you pretty far sometimes.
The quick and easy posts continue this week as it’s that time of year for Spotify Wrapped.
I’ll add a quick bit of context before getting into mine – this year I used Spotify for two main purposes – small playlists of 6 or so songs when I go on bicycle rides (which is most every day) and to check out new releases. I figured my wrap-up would be distorted this year based on the small series of 30 minute playlists I constantly rotate through, but as it turns out I can say the results were fairly representative of my listening habits.
First up the is genres. Not a whole lot to get into here, besides whatever “post-doom metal” is. Music descriptors get awesome these days when everyone is trying to invent a new term for a sound that sets even somewhat apart from the rest. I’m also not entirely sure what they’re referring to with “country rock” but that’s a more understandable term.
Now on top artist. Not really shocking to me – I have a handful of LoG songs in my playlists and then when Omens came out in early October I played the hell out of it. I’ve liked them for a long time but the new album really knocked me over and likely explains how they took my top artist crown this year.
And here is the overall Wrapped sum-up. Kind of funny that my top played song in 2022 was the same one as from 2021. My only real “huh?” moment is Muse being in my top artist list – they put out a new album this year which didn’t really hit with me, though one song off of it is pretty awesome. I guess that one new song and whatever sprinkling of others I have in my playlists put them over the top. None of the others register any surprise to me all.
Here is one other little bonus that was going around in the past few days leading up to Wrapped – the Instafest lineup. It essentially takes your Spotify data and generates a three day festival based on what you’ve played. Here is mine.
I’m honestly pretty happy with mine. Now, I do love Oasis, but in no universe would I book Iron Maiden as an opening act for Oasis. I’m sure plenty of people would have my head for that. But beyond that, I would pay huge money to attend that fest. It lines up with what I like pretty nicely. The only oddball? I don’t know the artist “Lord” as listed on the festival bill. No clue who that is referring to and I’m not getting any easy answers on Spotify.
That covers my Spotify Wrapped for 2022 and also the bonus Instafest thing. As a preview for my end of year stuff, I’ll do my top albums of 2022 on December 12, in place of the regular Album of the Week feature. I’ll probably do a small Songs of the Year list too, maybe three or five, don’t know yet. On through the ass end of 2022.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve tackled a recent album as AotW, that usually involves a lot more work than talking about a record that’s been out for 40 years. But this return-to-form album from one of metal’s most influential bands of this century is significant enough to warrant immediate discussion.
Lamb Of God – Omens
Released October 7, 2022 via Epic Records and Nuclear Blast Records
My Favorite Tracks – Ditch, Gomorrah, Grayscale
Lamb Of God have always presented a harsh, visceral world view, and this new album in the post-2020 era is a fiery takedown of whatever’s left in the ashes of our culture. It’s probably easier than ever to craft a metal album in today’s negative, nihilistic climate; but it takes on a new form when combined with the groove and riffs of a seasoned metal act.
The band recorded the album in the same room with each other, rather than handling specific parts alone. Something about the spontaneity and changing of the process has led to a rejuvenated band back on the attack. A “Making Of Omens” mini-documentary is available online for anyone who has purchased copies of the album or concert tickets (I think…)
There is no beating around the bush here – 10 songs come in right at 40 minutes. The attack is savage and precise, so let’s get right to it.
Nevermore
This track was the first preview single and was offered up in June. The song delves into the issues surrounding the “culture war” happening in a lot of the US and here specifically in the band’s hometown of Richmond, Virginia. The battle here is whether to remove or leave up statues and other images of Confederate military figures and has been a hot button issue through the South for awhile now.
Nevermore’s presentation of the issue is “well, everything is fucked” which is a pretty accurate portrayal. There are also a few lines thrown in to pay tribute to Edgar Allen Poe’s epic poem The Raven.
Vanishing
A hard hitter here, this song seems like it’s about a civilization being wiped off the planet. It could possibly be about one of the many peoples who were wiped out or subjugated by colonial powers. The song has a pretty neat outro part that switches up the pacing.
To The Grave
A neat song about that one thing from your past that can come back and bite you. Another song that highlights how inspired and refreshed the band sounds.
Ditch
This will probably count as a single as the song was given a video on release day. The song is the classic kind of “confrontation” tune that works so very well in the groove metal realm. The “ditch” appears to be the one the whole country is in. This was an instant favorite for me when I heard the record and I’ll wager that this song will be ranked among the band’s best after the dust settles.
Omens
The title track has a nice twist on the idea of omens and ides. The world so screwed that, well, the hell with all the signs pointing it out. “I can’t pretend to care about how this will end” sums up the spirit of the song and the whole album.
Gomorrah
This is a song about failure – and not just, like, missing a field goal or something. It’s stark, bleak, abject failure of the all-consuming kind. It doesn’t paint a pretty picture and it’s a type of song or art theme that has always drawn me in for whatever reason. I don’t know if it’s me hitting middle age or if it’s the state of the world or what, but this kind of total human failure really stands out, and it’s captured in perfect form by Lamb Of God here.
Ill Designs
Again with the failure, but this time apparently of some corporate head or other power figure that is being taken down. It is the collapsing of the house of cards the figurehead built, and of course everyone is caught in the demolition. Some very standout guitar work on this one too.
Grayscale
This song apparently almost didn’t make the record but was “voted in” by the producer. The riffing is more militant than a normal LoG song but isn’t out of place or anything. It’s about a struggle within one’s self, and pretty extreme one at that.
Denial Mechanism
Here is an absolute barnburner. Not that Lamb Of God would ever be accused of not being heavy, but this is a whole other world for them. It has a more hardcore feel than a typical LoG track and bashes the end of humanity and the world into the listener’s head. While the song presents a call to action to fend off the end, things sound pretty bleak around here.
September Song
The album’s finale keeps the theme of “we’re fucked” and presents it on a grand, global scale. This one also moves a bit differently than what we’ve come to expect from LoG, with a bit more of an epic build-up and use of movements and atmosphere. It still communicates its brutal message in typical fashion but is a welcome stretching out of the creative muscles for the band.
Omens does what many long-in-the-tooth metal bands strive to do, and a handful achieve – it presents a refreshed, revitalized attack for a band that had been previously written off as a throwback to better, older days. Lamb Of God have not lacked for name recognition or legacy status, but recent efforts were not viewed in the same hallowed light as their peak offerings, now well over a decade old.
But the word on Omens is out, and many who maybe haven’t paid LoG much mind in a long time find themselves back for another round. The backdrop of the pandemic and America’s possible disintegration have led to a ferocious new record. You don’t have to teach an old dog new tricks, sometimes they learn their own.
Ok, so today was supposed to be a “real” post. I had a few paragraphs to finish up and I was going to post it for tomorrow.
However, life intervened. And by life, I mean that I went out for a few beers with a buddy, then he left and another buddy showed up right as the first one left, so I wound up being the guy holding a bag of a lot of beer and a huge tab when all was said and done.
So – I am going to put off the real post for next week. I have real posts for the next two days lined out already so that’s all good.
Instead, have a taste of what will be the next album of the week. I don’t usually do new albums as AOTW anymore, but this one has hooked its way into my brain and I’ve listened to it over 20 times now so I’m giving it billing next week.
And I promise I won’t get messed up again and put stuff off – the post I originally had for today will be on next week, and I already have most of next week’s crap lined out. This just became a a temporary, one night halt order when I spent more time drinking than doing what I should have been doing.
In fact, there might be a few appropriate lyrics from this song for that:
You’re face down, down in a ditch that you dug yourself
The Crooked Wanderer 