Send "Lamb of God " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Sputnikmusic |
 For those who found Lamb of God’s direction on 2009’s Wrath to be a bit underwhelming, the burning wreckage in the background of the cover might as well be a stack of those records. With the metal quintet’s latest offering, they eradicate any hints of the heavy-but-repetitive Wrath by replacing that sound with something just as intense but markedly more satisfying. Whereas its predecessor was a transparent effort to prove they are still “metal” down to their very core, Resolution actually puts some tangible backing into that claim whilst providing some much needed variation to a formula that was approaching worn-out status. There is also enough here to suggest that Lamb of God still has some unexplored depths which, after eighteen years of existence, is a very exciting prospect.One thing that listeners will immediately notice is the album’s ability to deliver ideas in moderation – something that was lacking on quite a few previous releases. That isn’t to say that Resolution doesn’t come at you with full force (because it does), but the brands of mayhem that each song possesses are better integrated. Take for example the opening two tracks: ‘Straight for the Sun’ creates an atmosphere with sludgy, menacing electric guitars while ‘Desolation’ thrives off of a more direct approach featuring driving percussion and thrash riffs. They function almost perfectly together as a one-two punch, and much to Resolution’s advantage, the album more or less continues down that road. ‘Invictus’ is a standout with its constantly shifting tempo amidst relentless shredding and Blythe’s guttural vocals, while the ensuing ‘Cheated’ takes more of a machine-gun approach to percussion underneath a vocal-centric performance that is heavy on the growls. From start to finish, no two songs sound disjointed – and perhaps even more impressively, every track is still distinguishable on its own. Besides varying their approach, Lamb of God also injects a few innovative ideas into their tried-and-proven sound. ‘King Me’, the longest song in the band’s catalog, is additionally one of their most progressive – featuring strings and female vocals that provide contrast against Blythe’s raucous growling and screaming. ‘Terminally Unique’ introduces a mathier approach, something that hasn’t been touched by the band in previous outings. Even when the band isn’t adding ideas to their sound per se, they still manage to expand upon their foundation. ‘The Undertow’, for instance, possesses what could easily be Morton’s best guitar solo to date while ‘Visitation’ pushes Blythe’s vocals to the limit with surprisingly well-executed high-pitched shrieks. As individual aspects, they may not seem like particularly impressive feats. However, Resolution’s experimentation is quite abundant (especially compared to Wrath), and that alone makes this particular output feel like an interesting and completely natural progression in Lamb of God’s sound....full text |
| Metalinjection |
| Even as a staunch supporter of Richmond’s metal titans Lamb of God, their last album Wrath simply didn’t compare to their previous releases. The aggression was there in spades; it just sounded more like a b-sides collection to Sacrament than anything else. The band had found themselves at a huge crossroads in their career – fade into obscurity like countless other New Wave of American Metal bands, or continue to remind all other metal bands why they’ve been one of the most successful acts in the genre’s recent history. With Resolution, Lamb of God is undoubtedly back. The album is dripping with groove, unrelenting drums, and one of the most confident-sounding albums in the band’s career. Right off the bat, the band instantly obliterates any and all riffs from their past album. “Straight for the Sun” shows the band delving into sludgier territory, resulting in the heaviest riff since 2003’s “Vigil”. Entering soon after this is vocalist/current presidential candidate Randy Blythe, showing that his vocal cords have only toughened with age. Blythe’s vocals are even more guttural than before, while still being one of the more understandable screamers in metal today. You’ll also get a few “sung” choruses in songs like “The Number Six”, harkening back to Pantera’s Phil Anselmo. From a musical standpoint, Resolution is a mosher’s wet dream; crossover-thrash riffs intertwine with ripping guitar solos and the band’s token half-time groove. It’s a formula the band has long used to great success, and while this may seem to raise some eyebrows from the skeptics, fear not! Lamb of God aren’t just repeating themselves, but rather expanding on a sound that is now undeniably theirs. “The Undertow” showcases one of Mark Morton’s best guitar solos to date. “King Me”, the band’s longest song to date, shows the band delving into …And Justice For All-esque prog-metal while also being backed by an orchestra. Songs like “Invictus” and “Terminally Unique” even experiment with a mathier approach in the song’s chorus, courtesy of Chris Adler’s absolutely dominating drum performance. While these newer elements may not please die-hard fans of the band just looking for a reason to hop into another circle pit, there’s still loads of that (“Cheated” is a mosher’s delight). The band’s first single for the album, “Ghost Walking” is everything fans have come to expect from Lamb of God. Hell, even the opening riff does sound quite a bit like “Redneck”....full text |
| Metalhammer |
| It’s so close we can smell it. Lamb Of God’s ‘Resolution’ is almost upon us, so we thought it time to ask Dom Lawson for his two cents. Epic. It’s one of the most anticipated metal albums of 2012, and he is Dom Motherfucking Lawson (at least we think that’s his middle name. We heard it might be Norris). Lamb Of God’s ‘Resolution’ drops January 23 via Roadrunner, so here’s Dom’s Iron Sandwich review on what might just shape up as an early contender for album of the year....full text |
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