Lamb of GodSacramentEpicFive out of five stars
This is the best black metal you’ll get this side of Denmark, folks-so this Sunday, go to church, take the Sacrament and “BURN WITH ME IN HELL!!!!”Of course, first-rate black metal will always come from Scandinavia, but for five guys from Richmond, Va., Lamb of God members hold up just fine-you’d think they’d rowed to the United States in a Viking ship with Satan’s minions at the oars.But this isn’t just some cheesy metal-tribute band. The group describes its music as “pure-American metal” and that is just what it plays-authentic, skull-shattering, bone-crunching, soul-sucking metal-American style.Admittedly, I am not a huge metal fan, but I can appreciate a band that does it right-dark, guttural vocals, manic fret-tapping guitar solos and frenzied drumming that must reach 180 beats-per-minute.It will work you over.And though I generally can’t listen to metal for more than 10 minutes at a time, sometimes I find it is the ultimate musical catharsis. Just like classic country is arguably the best way to soothe a bad hangover, metal is the best way to visit the dark side of your sick, twisted soul and help you learn to own it-so it doesn’t own you. WA HA HA HA HA!!!And with that, here are some words from our brothers in darkness, Lamb of God:”Blacken the cursed sun / You’re not the only one / To have sunk so far and low / There is no tomorrow.”Amen.
