Customer Reviews

As the Palaces Burn

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3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

LAMB OF GOD - As the Palaces Burn
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Not only is this their album I've listened to the most, but it is also my favorite album by them. Lamb of God is one of the few bands in the New Wave of American Heavy Metal movement that I feel has been true to themselves. Despite high volumes of popularity they haven't sacrificed their goal for musical metal Armageddon.

Now I agree with some of the Vocal criticisms... Randy's voice is a bit odd at times and can at times be hard to swallow. (Personally I enjoy it... specially, in contrast to say... Shadows Fall's vocalist - who sounds beyond forced when he screams or sings.) Lyrically it is hostile but with a bit more `intelligent' than much of Randy's counterparts.
Musically however LoG, is well beyond the NWoAHM trend, Chris Adler (Drums) is probably the finest Groove-oriented Metal Drummer since Vinnie Paul. The guitar work is handled by Willie Adler and Mark Morten, who though not as technical as some other guitarists, make up for it with creativity... For example they use a lot of atonal single notes which makes them sound so urgently heavy. The bass is handled by John Campbell, who is a good bass player by metal accounts however the sound in the mix is pushed far into the background.

All in all I highly recommend this disk for fans that may be into the NWoAHM, or just metal in general. Also any Pantera fans looking for someone to take the southern-death torch need not search any further.

Favorite Songs: As the Palaces Burn, 11th Hour, Ruin and Vigil.
-4.25 Stars

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Lamb of God are a very promising young band. Probably the fastest rising band to come out of the "New Wave of American Heavy Metal" heap, and they've got my vote for the best new metal band to be born in the new millennium. Their second album, "As the Palaces Burn", is a brutal barrage that pulls no punches and pummels the listener's ear drums. With its impenetrable wall of sound, killer double bass drumming, fiery guitar work and an occasional guitar solo, this album should be any and every metalhead's dream.
The band didn't make this album on a major record label, so there isn't a big production job. Thus, singer Randy Blythe's voice and Chris Adler's drums are more raw than on their next release, "Ashes of the Wake." It's up for debate whether that's a good thing or not, but there's no denying that Blythe's yell/growl goes great with the background music.
Due to the production, Blythe's vocals take a back seat to the guitars and drums. Drummer Chris Adler is at the root of Lamb of God's attack. He makes the beat a big, relentless wave which gets shoved down the listener's throat. But he sometimes creates breakdowns that change the beat (to a usually slower and heavier one). Sometimes, when listening to this album, I could have sworn Adler wasn't beating his drums, but beating the outside of my headphones. Adler's persistent double bass drumming (which is usually a death metal blast beat or machine gun attack) and Blythe's Cookie Monster vocals make Lamb of God stand out from other "New Wave of Metal" bands.

Highlights include:

"Ruin" is a good representation of Lamb of God: super aggressive, hard hitting and raw. It has a "ba boom boom" beat with pounding drums and Blythe shrieks like he's being stabbed. There's a breakdown in the middle of the song (following the guitar solo), making a bobbing beat with bobbing guitars. It ends with another mini solo and a small explosion sound.
"Purified" features guest guitar work by ex-Megadeth axeman Chris Poland. The solo he lays down here is good, but I would have definitely liked it more if it were longer.
"11th Hour" is the lead single and a personal favorite. The whole song is catchy, but I like it when Blythe bellows over just the double bass (no other instruments). Also, this song has GREAT give-and-take between the guitars and drums. After this part, it turns to Pantera-style riffing.
"Boot Scraper" begins with cascading (almost machine gun) riffs and drums, but my favorite part of this song is pounding double bass solo. Adler must have had bricks attached to his feet when he was playing this part.
"A Devil in God's Country" is almost mind boggling (with rapid, back-and-forth guitar and drum work).
"Blood Junkie" is my second favorite song on the album. It begins with an almost inaudible spoken word, but the vocals gain volume as the song progresses. This track is a highlight because it has (1,2,3,) 4 beat changes and heavy breakdowns. Part of this song has bobbing riffs.

I gave this C.D. four stars--even though technically speaking it should be rated 4.5--because it could stand to have a tad bit more texture. I don't think they should add any melody, like Shadows Fall or Killswitch Engage, because if they did, there would be nothing to distinguish Lamb of God from those bands. When I say they should add a tad bit more texture, I'm not saying they should make anything like a pop ballad, but the constant double bass drumming makes some parts of some of the songs blend together. Plus, I DO think the vocals became more diverse and interesting when the band signed with Sony (a year after this album was released).

But those two small things didn't stop "As the Palaces Burn" from becoming the second most contagious album of the year. Plus, there should be nothing to deter you from checking this album out if you love metal or thrash or the "New Wave of American Heavy Metal" scene. Or, if you are just tired of hearing such bands as Nickelback or other wimpy modern rock bands that control the radio's airwaves, Lamb of God should be your dream come true.

In my opinion, Lamb of God is probably the fastest rising band out of this whole New Wave of American Heavy Metal shxt. Man, these guys have toured non-stop, have had their videos played countless times on the Ball, and just recently, they signed to Epic. I see them being the headliners of the second stage of next year's Ozzfest. Well, anyways, here's my review of their album:

I was blown away when I first heard this album. Right now, it's a 4 way tie for best album of the year also including Mushroomhead, Chimaira, and Dimmu Borgir. The musicianship is incredible on this. Metal bands, take notes, cause this stuff is top notch. Like Chimaira, their sopomore effort has way better production (thanks to Mr. Devin Townsend). The album begins with a bang with "Ruin." Full on mosh music, until the bridge, where there's a ripping solo. Great stuff. The title track is probably the fastest one on here. Heavy riffs, lighting-fast drumming, and evil vocals, make this a fav.

I'm sure everyone by now has heard "11th Hour." Probably the catchiest tune on here. It reminds me Pantera, until the last minute of the song, where it goes full on speed. My fav. on here has to be "Blood Junkie." The music on here reminds me of Meshuggah. Every 10 sec. it has speed changed, and heavy ass breakdowns. Plus, Chris Adler goes nuts on the drums.

Anyways, for people who haven't given new school metal a chance, you will instantly respect Lamb of God. Scott Ian siad it best. It's like Reign in Blood all over again.

Man, thank goodness for bands like Lamb Of God. Unlike the sorry, moaning likes of Staind and Nickelback, Lamb Of God prove that angst can actually be empowering (novel thought, huh?). Rather than wallowing in self-pity, this five-man wrecking crew channels their righteous indignation into stunningly heavy and intelligent metal that manages to be catchy and even uplifting at the same time. Although anger is unquestionably an important part of Lamb Of God's sound, "As The Palaces Burn" is far from a simple testosterone fest. Instead, the album combines unrelenting aggression with devastating precision and killer songwriting chops, making for one of the most superb metal listens released so far this decade. Lamb Of God can slow down and really drive the heaviness into you, or they can speed things up and blast you straight through a wall. No matter what though, the music is always gut-wrenchingly heavy, and played with an amazing level of skill. Willie Adler and Mark Morton are a brilliant guitar duo who do some really complex and interesting stuff, and they always have the volume cranked up to the max. Randy Blythe's vocals are basically just guttural, semi-intelligible growls typical of extreme metal, but they're sufficiently angry and hateful for the music being played. The rhythm section sounds really good too, but the drum production is pretty lousy, and the drums and bass are inevitably pushed to the background by the more attention-grabbing nature of the guitars and vocals. Oh well. Any production problems aside, "As The Palaces Burn" is easily one of the albums of the year for metalheads, maybe THE album of the year. The last Haunted album was pretty amazing, but I think this one may even have that beat. But whatever the case, if you like heavy music that mixes brains with brawn, you can't go wrong with Lamb Of God. Now to check out their first album!

I'm giving this album a 4 out of 5 because the sound quality is pretty bad. Their recording engineer should have been fired and replaced. There is a fine line between a raw-sounding album, and a poorly recorded one. Unfortunately, this one leans more toward the poorly recorded side. But with that being said...

This is one of the best metal albums I have heard in recent years. If there is a hope for the future of American metal, it truly lies in these guys.

Unlike most of today's newer metal bands, these guys actually have very well written, intelligent, and poignant lyrics. The lyrical themes tend to be socio-political to religious in nature: the album's two closing tracks are still some of my favorites.

Vocally, their frontman is a screamer/growler (usually, I'm not a big fan of that), but he is one of the few metal frontmen who can do it well: it is easy to understand what he is saying, and his vocals don't sound cheesy or weak, as tends to be the case with other screamers of any genre.

Musically, these guys are great. Chris Adler is one of the most creative up & coming metal drummers out there. While they tend to play heavy, almost pummeling riffs, these guys cover everything from creepy down-tempo songs to thrashy up-tempo pieces, and many points in between. They're definitely much more creative than most of the new acts out ther (this review can't really do them justice).

In summation, this is a great metal album, but the recording quality is pretty poor. Thankfully it (along with the band) has improved in their next album.

I consider this Lamb of God's third studio release (with the Burn the Priest album being their first). I've owned this cd for a long time, but didn't decide to write a review until now. This cd acts a nice bridge between the very raw New American Gospel and the more accessible Ashes of the Wake.
Lamb of God guitarists Willie Adler and Mark Morton really shine here, presenting the listener with a diverse variety of riffs. Drummer Chris Adler and bassist John Campbell always make solid deliveries and vocalist Randy Blythe screams, croaks, and growls his way through this 10 track, 38 minute cd.
The opener, "Ruin", aside from being one of Lamb of God's best songs ever, really engages the listener to the mood and feel of the album. "As the Palaces Burn" is a great follow-up, though a bit on the short side. "11th Hour" is unique from the rest, and offers a blindlingly fast guitar-drum give and take towards the end of the song. "For Your Malice" is slower with a chugging riff style, and manages to be very heavy and interesting. "Blood Junkie" lyrically sounds like it belongs more on New American Gospel, and is a nice change-up. The final track, "Vigil", is a very important song not just for the album but for the band's musical development. It starts off sounding like it's going to be a ballad and explodes into typical Lamb of God style. It builds until the end, and is probably the best constructed song on the album, ending it perfectly.
Overall, this isn't as accessible as Ashes of the Wake, not as raw as the Burn the Priest album, and is very solid all-around.

I decided to take a chance. I bought the first Lamb Of God CD and thought it was alright but overall, very cookie cutter and uninspiring. I think part of what sold me on them originally was the production of the evil genius known as Steve Austin of the marvelous Today Is The Day. Much to my dismay, LOG, didn't match up to Mr. Austin's trio of death. Well, album #2 should always be a step above the first. Fortunately for Lamb Of God, it is a staircase above.

Unlike some bands newest offerings, this album DOES NOT pick up where the last one left off. It almost starts anew with a fresh retro feel (sounds weird, but I'm sure it'll make sense to those who've listened to more than Disturbed and Mudvayne), blending the obvious Slayer influence with a more subtle Pantera feel as well as some lesser known (at least to the dreadlock-sporting nu-metal crowd) influences from the golden age of Bay Area thrash.

The lyrics have a discontent, somewhat-socio/political bent to them and are backed by rabid, biting vo-kills that make you take notice from the opening verse. Once again, the drumming makes it presence felt heavily with a combination of bombastic rhythms and aggressive improvisation. The most obvious influence comes from "school of king/hanneman" guitar riffage that would normally come under heavy scrutiny but it's clear by the second track that these guys have studied the masters very well, even so much as to get a nod from the legendary Slayer themselves.
Nu-metal, this is not.

For those "nu-bies" looking to finally shed themselves of their Disturbed rags and are having some trouble finding a copy of Dark Angel "Leave Scars", "As The Palaces Burn" is a good place to de-virginize yourself unto real metal. As for me, being a fan of the genre since the late-80s heyday of thrash, I find it heartening to hear new bands coming out now and daring once again fly the flag of real metal without hesitation. Anyone who still finds enjoyment from the old Combat or Noise releases will find something to like here.

This is without a doubt the most brutal album of 2003. It grew on me like no other album has. At first listen, you don't necessarily know how to react, but after you get it going, this album just kills. From the first note of Ruin to the last riff of Vigil, this is 40 minutes of metal bliss from the band that is among the leaders of metal for the future!

This review can really apply to any of this awesome band's albums. Fist of all I might comment that they do have a somewhat odd name, which is certainly NOT reflective of the terrifying brutality of their music, and especially where some mindless souls can actually be misled. I can't forget reading a weird review somewhere by some poor idiot who picked up one of their CDs because he thought they were a 'Christian metal band'(!), but was horribly disillusioned because 'the singer sounded too angry to love Jesus...' - kind of sad yet hilarious at the same time. Anyway to get to the bottom line, which is their music, it kicks major a**!. If you like your metal done hard, heavy and brutal, this band is an ideal starting point. Definitely one of the most QUALITY American metal bands of the new millennium! I've heard about the comparisons to Pantera, whose influence I've definitely detected in their music, yet while listening further, I've also heard strong influences from every other metal genre that ever turned me on! This includes thrash metal with traces of 80's Metallica, Slayer, Exodus and others, as well as death metal reminiscent of most major brutal death metal pioneers of the 90's (Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Death etc. etc.) in addition to their own unique style of course. In other words, a mish-mash of everything good from the world of extreme metal. Vocalist Randy Blythe both screams and growls, which I consider quite unique and very well done. The guitars are meaty, sharp, ultra-distorted and just plain HEAVY. Although I would appreciate some more guitar solos, the overall structure of their sound doesn't make you miss them very much. As a long-time metal fan, I must admit that I have recently 'discovered' Lamb of God's music after which I promptly added their entire CD output to my music collection, and I'm glad that I did!. The way it looks now, these guys will definitely not let you down. Metal fans, pick up ATPB or any other of their albums with confidence, crank'em up and enjoy!

Metal is one of my favorite types of music and I have amassed a lot of it. One of my favorite bands from the genre is Pantera. I see some Pantera in Lamb of God. That is a good thing. Have no fear, they are not a copycat band. After reading a lot about Lamb of God and listening to song samples, I decided on getting this album and Sacrament. Really good bada** guitar riffs and vocals. Both are excellent and worthwhile titles, and if you like Metal, you should probably add them your collection. Enough said.