(Roadrunner Records)

Further beyond driven

Previous comparisons have been drawn between Richmond, Virginia’s Lamb Of God and a certain group of cowboys from hell who rode out in the early ‘90s and completely changed the sound and look of heavy metal. There are the common influences between the two bands (Resolution’s opener Straight To The Sun is a tremendously satisfying a tip of the hat to Pantera’s buddies in Eyehategod) and a shared appreciation of hardcore song motifs. It’s not an easy comparison for Lamb Of God – Pantera’s contribution to the popular metal scene is undeniable, and indeed unmatchable. Near single-handedly those four rednecks deflated the massive ego of the then reigning glam metal scene. But for all they did for the heavy metal, Pantera will only ever have four brilliant albums in their canon. With Resolution, Lamb Of God prove that if they can’t be as influential as Pantera, they’re damn well going to be musically superior. The sound they create is immediately recognisable as their own, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler are still trading off their choppy riffs around Chris Adler’s innovative drum-work, but Resolution has the band burning across a swathe of influences, scoring big as they work through sludge, speed metal, blues and stadium-sized, epic heavy metal.  Pantera ruled the mainstream metal world for a decade, and after holding that same position for the noughties, Resolution is the sound of Lamb Of God getting comfortable in their thrones for a second term. Hail the motherfuckin’ kings.

****½

TOM HERSEY

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