The Richmond rockers Lamb of God are back on top of the metal game with their 7th full length album “VII:Sturm Und Drang.” Loosely translated as storm and stress, the title is a fitting description for the turmoil and chaos of most of Lamb of God’s music.
For this new record, LOG is back on the attack with blistering, brutal guitars, deafening drums, and vocalist Randy Blythe’s signature growls. Kicking things off is the aggressive “Still Echoes” and the eerie “512.” With screams of “My hands are painted red! I Can’t Recognize Myself, I’ve Become Someone Else,” “512” provides a creepy look into his psyche during his incarceration in a Czech prison. There are a few surprises thrown into the mix as well with “Embers” providing a unique contrast between the haunting screams of Blythe and the delicate swells of guest vocalist Chino Moreno of the Deftones. Of course, the bombshell track is the dark and brooding “Overlord” which features clean vocals by Blythe. Who knew he could sing this well? Don’t miss the frenzied pace of “Anthropoid” and “Delusion Pandemic” which are classic LOG tunes before things slow down for the melancholy “Torches” which has Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato making an appearance.
“VII:Sturm Und Drang” is an unbelievable metal album. It shows that LOG can step out of their comfort zone a bit but still keep things punishing enough to keep the mosh pits moving.
