In Moline, IL, on November 8, 2008, Metallica vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield apologized by saying, “I’m sorry if it’s too heavy” as he introduced their song “Sad But True.” In context, he introduced that comment by stating that they had been getting some complaints about the next song they were going to play. That statement is something Lamb Of God vocalist Randy Blythe would never say. There are no apologies, no hesitation, and in no uncertain terms, Blythe continues to lead the premier heavy metal band of the decade. Following the anger and aggression of 2006’s Sacrament with Wrath is a dozen steps in the correct direction.
Kicking off with a heavy groove on “In Your Words,” venom is in stock, with Blythe spewing it throughout this track. If the vocals don’t appeal to you, then you still have guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler driving the point home with intricate riffs. Somewhere in the mix is drummer Chris Adler, who follows up his Metal Drummer Awards from Modern Drummer magazine with a stellar performance. There are trademark double bass syncopated patterns and the ever-favorite splash cymbal used instead of a ride cymbal – drummers know about what I’m speaking – so there are familiar colors. You can find a video on youtube.com where only the drum part for “Set To Fail” is played and it is quite the experience to hear all the patterns Chris Adler is constructing during this track.
This release is a lot like what you would expect from a heavy band like Lamb Of God. The album begins with a mellow acoustic guitar before Blythe and his band of brothers unleash hostility through their collaborative metal riffs and thunderous drumming. Blythe takes center stage as he toggles, as most other bands in the genre do, between dirty (shouts/growls) and clean vocals. This is the same style he used on Sacrament so he has not gone the route of using only one vocal style to convey his aggression towards those that would oppress him.
Songs like “Set To Fail,” “Grace” and the longest track “Reclamation” stand out, but that doesn’t mean the others are filler tracks. Each song could have opened this release as there are all examples of where the genre of heavy metal recorded with intensity. Like Shadows Fall, Lamb Of God is a leader in the current era of heavy metal. Wrath is a prime example of what good metal sounds like these days.
