10 albums in and Lamb Of God are still making a statement- lyrically and musically.
Into Oblivion is upon us and it’s based around exactly that- the fact that many people feel that we’re socially heading into oblivion and the band are not holding back with that theme on the record.
Musically and sonically, this is exactly what longtime LOG fans have come to expect and is just as heavy and visceral as ever.
Randy Blythe’s vocals are as aggressive and intense as ever, making you feel what he’s screaming and singing, and the title track opens the record, proving this early-on.
Along with a new logo, though, the band have expanded their sound to a degree- adding in more clean vocals than we’ve heard from the band before, they find a way to not alienate their fanbase by keeping the essence of what LOG is all about.
“Parasocial Christ” is a groovy metal onslaught that shows Willie Adler and Mark Morton at their best while John Campbell and Art Cruz hold it down on rhythm better than ever as “Sepsis” is a grungy, sludgy, raw epic that almost feels like an underground spoken word battle that rips into a metal classic.
Then there’s “El Vacio,” which has an Alice in Chains in some ways but is still as LOG as it gets at its core while “St. Catherine’s Wheel” shows the band going all out and putting pedal to the metal and just letting everything fly, as does “Blunt Force Blues.”
In the end, Into Oblivion is Lamb Of God doing what they do best- telling you how they feel, what they think and reminding you that they can still kick your ass just as good after all these decades.
Mark Morton has said “We’re beholden to no one, with nothing to prove,” about the band but they continue to play and write like they do, which is one reason they stay as beloved as they are- they’re authentic as it gets.
Into Oblivion saw Blythe recording his vocals at Total Access studios in SoCal- where bands like Black Flag and Descendents recorded their punk classics- and it shows in so many ways on this record.
Welcome back, Lamb Of God.
Rating: 9.5/10
-Reggie Edwards