It has been approximately three years since Lamb of God last released an album, and their latest work, Wrath, proves the band has what it takes to maintain a successful career as a metal band.
So far, Lamb of God has been able to maintain a unique voice heard audibly over the din of various other, somewhat indistinguishable, metal bands, and their latest is no exception.
As a contemporary metal album, Wrath is solid, and it's no mystery why Lamb of God continues to stay at the forefront of metal music and culture; however, this album becomes disappointing when compared to some of Lamb of God's earlier work, particularly Ashes of the Wake and As the Palaces Burn.
It may be unfair to admonish Wrath for being unique to its predecessors, especially when the members of Lamb of God have been quoted saying they make a conscious effort to constantly adjust their sound in order to keep it from becoming dull over time—a phenomenon that seems to afflict metal bands more often than not.
But when this artistic direction is taken and it threatens to undermine the strengths of a band, it is hard not to doubt it.
As with any band that eventually reaches a notable level of mainstream success, Lamb of God is now confronted with a larger and more diverse fan base they must gratify in order to remain at their current level of success.
Eschewing their overtly anti-establishment political message—one which garnered much of their initial notoriety—for fear of causing offense to new fans is a deferential gesture that hurts the band overall, especially since their new lyrical style follows already well-trodden metal conceits.
Despite the obvious technical skill, their guitar riffs no longer feel entirely ""Lamb-of-God-like,"" and at times, they seem to be more influenced by other current metal acts, rather than being the influence themselves.
Furthermore, Wrath feels as though it spent far too long in the studio: The mixing is immaculate to the point of being over-produced, and the individual parts are often found solely promoting themselves instead of coming together as a unified piece.
That is not to say, however, that Wrath lacks any transcendent moments. In particular, the song ""In Your Words"" is an excellent testament to Lamb of God's signature guitar work and dynamic vocal shifts, which, despite having changed over the years, continue to be the band's strongest attributes.
""Grace"" showcases the band's song-writing talent by stitching together as many unique melodies into one effective piece as one is likely to hear on any metal album.
Despite lacking the feel of an epic, unified album, Wrath is fast, relentless and dark without being the slightest bit overbearing or redundant, providing an experience that listeners won't be able to help but head-bang along with throughout its entirety.
