When Lamb of God’s 2009 album, Wrath, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts, it was a coming out of sorts for the Richmond, Virginia, thrashers as one of modern metal’s pre-eminent acts. Their follow up, Resolution, is a further testament to a band at the peak of its powers—packed solid with adventurous riffage that runs in lock-step with a torrent of double-kick drumming.
The songs all boast an extreme level of technical proficiency, but the stylistic consistency means they tend to blur together. Aside from the album’s bookends—sludgy Black Sabbath–esque opener “Straight for the Sun” and the symphonically enhanced closer “King Me”—Lamb of God seem stuck in the same power groove. At a career juncture where most successful metal bands strip things down by playing easier-to-digest radio rock, it’s impressive that Lamb of God are committed to their approach—even if it means that the dense songs leave little in the way of dynamic range (this is more important in metal than most people think).
Still, Resolution will definitely incite a circle pit; you’ll just have to work harder to discern what tunes you’re headbanging along to.
Playlist picks: “Desolation,” “Terminally Unique,” “Straight for the Sun”
Lamb of God play the Phoenix (410 Sherbourne St.) on Jan. 27.
