Lamb of God - Lamb of God (2020)

Epic/Nuclear Blast Records, June 19, 2020

Tracklist

1. Memento Mori

2. Checkmate

3.Gears

4. Reality Bath

5. New Colossal Hate

6. Resurrection Man

7. Poison Dream
8. Routes
9. Bloodshot Eyes
10. On the Hook
11. Ghost Shaped People (bonus)

Whenever a band self-titles an upcoming project eight albums into their career, it can  be for any number of reasons. In Lamb of God's case, the title acts as a statement that this project is through and through, unmistakably a Lamb of God album. If you are a fan of the Richmond-based metal crew, you know what you are getting here, as Lamb of God doubles down on the elements that make them unique. However, one noticeable thing has changed - the lineup. New drummer Art Cruz appears on his first album with the band, replacing Chris Adler who left in 2019.  

Due to the release date getting pushed back to June, Lamb of God premiered several singles from the album ahead of its release. These early tracks range in quality from excellent to average. The first of these was "Checkmate", which is structurally and stylistically similar to "Ghost Walking" off the Resolution album.  It is pretty decent, but nothing remarkable. "Memento Mori" was the second single release, and as far as opening tracks go it's a perfect choice.   Reminiscent of the sound on VII: Sturm und Drang while sounding unique, "Memento Mori" incorporates rare clean vocals from Randy Blythe along with a moody atmosphere and a dynamic sound.  "New Colossal Hate" is a pretty standard Lamb of God song, and "Routes" was the fourth and final single to be released.  Inspired by Randy Blythe's trip to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation during the NODAPL protests, "Routes" is one of the stronger songs on the album and features Testament vocalist Chuck Billy (who himself is Native American).  This track is relentless and thrashy yet melodic.  Along with "Poison Dream", which features Jamey Jasta, "Memento Mori" and "Routes" are the best songs on this self-titled effort.

Randy Blythe is a very intelligent man and this is clear in his writing.  The majority of the songs here are focused on a current societal issue and deal with it in a nuanced way. His lyricism is very strong whether he's discussing school shootings ("Reality Bath") the opioid crisis ("On the Hook") xenophobia ("New Colossal Hate") or the Dakota Access pipeline ("Routes"). On a local scale, "On the Hook" is especially relevant within the band's home state of Virginia.  The lyrics discuss the prevalent narcotic addiction and unemployment in the southwest area of the state (and Appalachia coal country in general) after the closure of the mines.  However, the heavy "Resurrection Man" seems a bit out of place topically, as it pays homage to the old Mercyful Fate song "Evil" and the lyrics are not as strong compared with the rest of the album.  

Overall, this is thoroughly a Lamb of God album that will satisfy all fans of the band.  That being said, this band has stronger albums in their discography.  It's not something I would consider their magnum opus or an album that breaks new ground, but it holds true to their Pure American Metal standard.   Lamb of God continues to consistently deliver quality, and this album receives a 7.5/10 rating.