For this week’s Metal Masterpiece we have chosen a work from the modern metal overlords. Returning this year with one of the most anticipated metal albums of the year, Sturm Und Drang, but before this we have to rewind twelve years to As The Palaces Burn.

Now I remember when I first heard Lamb Of God, the Headbangers Ball 2 open with “Ruin“. Never before had I heard something so vicious and yet meticulously crafted. Bursting through the speakers my metal world was shattered in one fell swoop. Prior to releasing their incredible Ashes Of The Wake and their breakthrough Sacrament Palaces was a revolutionary example of the band beginning their ascent to their demigod status.

The now classic melody of “11th Hour” or the destructive power of “Boot Scraper“, title track and a personal favourite of mine is “Vigil” where the band slow it down before delivering their decisive final blow on the album. Unfortunately many people peg Lamb Of God as a Pantera cover band, which I find totally irrelevant. Sure, there might be some elements of the band but the kind of riffing Morton and Adler come up with is like chalk and cheese compared the to Southern metallers. Not to mention Blythe’s vocal style is nothing like Anselmo’s.

As The Palaces Burn was their beginning, humble as it might have been it paved the way for their releases that have now become a staple in modern metal. What with the events that transpired in the Czech Republic, personally I feel that the band have attained that true metal legend status. It would seem bands like Metallica or Slayer seem to go through the metaphorical meat grinder, to test the mettle of the band themselves. Able to cope with the struggle of Blythe’s ordeal and with their stellar back catalogue I would imagine that we would be seeing Lamb Of God headline festivals in the not too distant future. But for now, we can listen to their fantastic As The Palaces Burn before their return with Sturm Und Drang.