Lamb of God is marking the 15th anniversary of the release of its 2006 album Sacrament this week with the re-issue of the album Friday. The slightly expanded package is an intriguing presentation, especially considering the accolades that the original album garnered for itself and the band. The original album debuted at #8 and sold 65,000 copies in its first week and eventually went on to be certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Additionally, the album’s single, ‘Redneck’ earned the band its first ever Grammy nomination, in this case in the category of “Best Metal Performance.” Considering all of those positives and items compared between the original album and re-issue, this latest presentation of Sacrament really sadly does not fully live up to the legacy of the original album.
Lamb of God’s new 15th anniversary edition of its 2006 album Sacrament is sadly a presentation that simply does not live up to the legacy created by the album upon its original release. One of the reasons that it comes up short is the “Making of” documentary that comes with the presentation. For those who might be unaware, the almost 90-minute documentary (one hour, 25 minutes speaking more specifically) was also featured in the “Walk With Me in Hell” DVD in the deluxe expanded edition of the album in the record’s original release. The documentary is engaging and entertaining. There is no denying that. It highlights the album really as a turning point in the band’s career. The humility and dedication that the band showed throughout it all is truly inspiring. However, that the original deluxe edition of Sacrament is still available today through many major retailers leaves on scratching one’s head as to the inclusion here. Yes, it is positive in that audiences received the documentary again as part of the album’s release, but at the same time, again, the reality is that it is not really anything new. To that end, the documentary’s presentation here is not necessarily an overwhelmingly major reason to purchase this re-issue regardless of whether they already own the album from its original release.
Another concern from this new re-issue of Sacrament is the “bonus” live content that is featured as part of the record. The re-issue features three songs that were originally recorded Feb. 14, 2020 at Lamb of God’s performance at House of Vans in Chicago, IL. The performance was the band’s only live, in-person performance of 2020. The thing is that the set featured a total of 13 songs. The performance clearly deserves the title, “career-spanning,” as its set list pulled from all but two of the band’s eight total albums. The only albums not represented in the performance are the band’s 2000 debut, New American Gospel and its 2015 album, VII: Sturm Und Drang. Keeping that in mind, that this re-issue features only three of that show’s songs is really a disservice to audiences. This is proven even more in that early this year, the band featured its full 2020 livestream in its re-issue of its latest album, Lamb of God (2020). It makes curious why the band did not just go the same route here with the Feb. 14, 2020 show instead of just teasing audiences with three live songs. Had that full House of Vans show been featured as a bonus DVD/BD, then that really would have been a saving grace. Sadly though, that just was not to be here.
Rounding out the most concerning aspects of this new re-issue is the fact that its release is solely digital for now. That means that audiences who may actually want this re-issue will have to find it online. This is a disservice to audiences and the band alike. That is because despite the continued push to make all things digital, there are still those audiences who have common sense and realize the importance of all things physical. Yes, a vinyl release is planned for the early portion of 2022, but for now, audiences who might actually want this re-issue even with all of its concerns, will have to purchase it online instead of in person. Keeping this in mind along with the other concerns addressed here, the 15th anniversary edition of Sacrament really proves to be anything but a tribute to this key addition to Lamb of God’s catalog or to the band’s legacy.
Lamb of God’s new 15th anniversary re-issue of Sacrament is a surprisingly disappointing update on the album that was already iconic upon its original release. It really is a disservice to the band’s legacy and that of the album. That is proven in part through the album’s “Making of” documentary. The documentary in question was already featured in the deluxe edition of the album upon its original release. That original release is still widely available today among most major retailers. The “bonus” live tracks are really not bonuses at all. They are only a tiny fraction of the Feb. 14, 2020 show that the band played at House of Vans in Chicago, IL. Considering that the band already released its entire first livestream of 2020 in its recent re-issue of its 2020 self-titled album, this becomes even more problematic. That this re-issue is currently available exclusively as a digital download only serves to see the band shoot itself in the foot even more. Each item examined is critical in its own way to the whole of the re-issue’s presentation. All things considered, they make this re-issue a largely forgettable offering from one of the leaders of the current age of metal. The re-issue is available now.
More information on Lamb of God’s Sacrament re-issue, upcoming live dates, and news and more is available online now at:
Website: https://www.lamb-of-god.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lambofgod
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lambofgod
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