Review: Resolution – Lamb of God

Let’s get one thing straight. Lamb of God have always been a formulaic band. With each record, they’ve made the smallest evolutionary steps, but none that could be discerned by an onlooker’s ear. Despite, or rather because of that, they could ram their way out the underground and become such a massive centripetal force in the metal community. This unlikely rise could be attributed to a lone fact – the template set by Pantera was aped by a million bands at the time, but nobody did it like these guys. Lamb of God were more spiritual successors than clones. They were on their own trip, but you could still smell the whiskey and blood from miles away.

Unlike most metal bands that make it to the Billboards, LoG changed very slightly through the entirety of their claim to fame. It’s one of those rare cases where a band’s inherent formulaic nature works in its benefit instead of proving detractors’ points. We know what to expect and we’re glad the band doesn’t stray, with their brand of piledriver groove metal being ridiculously catchy and all. Call them the AC/DC of metal, or have we been through this before? As a consequence, the act of reviewing an LoG album is rendered somewhat futile.  We know it’s all about power. The band knows it’s all about power. What’s there to argue? For anyone who knows anything about LoG, the fact is cast in stone.

LoG are possibly the most effective unifying force in metal at the moment. As a result, the more their fans grow in number, the less they can afford to fuck up. To a part, this is wishful thinking. Metallica already proved how it’s possible to let a whole generation down and rule the world at the same time. But LoG don’t seem the type. We can be certain they don’t aspire become the unsung kings of modern rock radio. Besides, their margin for error is further reduced by the presence of several more recent underground successes well equipped to dethrone LoG in the near future (Mastodon, for instance). This puts pressure on the band – they’re compelled to assert their dominance on the metal scene at large with the kind of record that’d boost neck-brace sales.

Is Resolution that record? For all intents and purposes, yes. It’s a slickly produced, formulaic pounding. The songs flare-up and charge into gigantic choruses, they shift during the second verse, regain steam and throw a pit-opening breakdown or maybe a solo – it’s all pulled off convincingly. That the formula works is apparent, but the reason they can get away with it after seven albums is their rather complex songwriting aesthetic that’s disguised well in simplistic song structures. Instead of employing some transcendental basis or labyrinth concept behind the music, they simply opt to be powerful and technical at the same time. Pay close attention to any instrument and you’re likely to spot a new nifty trick every time. It might be music for the body, but it’s intelligent in its own subtle manner.

Now the exceptions. Throughout Resolution, LoG have introduced certain incremental elements that expand upon the band’s sound in a decidedly organic manner. Take for instance the igneous opener ‘Straight for the Sun’ – a monstrous, sludgy riff resisting movement like it’s being hauled to the altar, nails scratching the ground. It’s perhaps the band’s slowest and heaviest moment and yet it feels characteristically Lamb of God given the context – a dramatic intro that serves to set the tone. Midway through the album we have ‘The Number Six’ with its chorus a throwback to mid-’00s In Flames and an eerie jitterbug-esque mid-section where Blythe’s vocals sound like a cross between Phil Anselmo and Mike Patton’s quieter moments. And you’ve probably already heard of ‘King Me’, the epic six-minute churner rife with orchestral flourishes taking its throne at the very end of the record. None of these are particularly radical, but the variety they provide makes Resolution the easiest LoG album to listen to from start to finish, despite it being the longest release in their catalogue.

For a band as outrageously effective as LoG, total reinvention doesn’t seem that smart an idea. In fact, they manage to expand their sound in the slightest with each record, all the while remaining characteristically Lamb of God. Seven albums in and they’re just as relentless as they were on day one, and undoubtedly more impactful. In the recent past, we’ve had our share of less-than-honourable mainstream metal chieftains (yes, I am referring to Metallica and the rest). With Lamb of God, the scene seems to be in the right hands. They’ve kicked the year off with a massive record, they’re showing alarmingly few signs of softening up and it’s plain obvious they have a lot left in them. Resolution proves they deserve to reign as the undoubted kings of modern mainstream metal. Mastodon are the new Lamb of God? Nah. Lamb of God are the new Lamb of God.

Indiecision: B