‘The Duke’ Is A Solid Second Wave From LOG’s ‘VII: Sturm Und Drang’

Courtesy: Epic Records

This past Friday, Lamb of God released its latest recording its new EP The Duke.  The 5-song recording comes only a year after the release of its most recent album VII: Sturm und Drang (2015).  What’s interesting about this recording is that while it is being marketed as an EP, it comes across more in the style of a single than an EP.  That is due to its overall content.  This is one of its most important elements.  Looking more closely at the record, the studio material featured in its presentation is important to note in its own right.  That will be discussed later.  The live material that is included in the record rounds out its most important elements.  Each element is important in its own right to the EP’s overall presentation. All things considered, The Duke proves to be an enjoyable new effort from Lamb of God.

Lamb of God’s new EP The Duke is an enjoyable new effort from the veteran metal outfit.  Considering the fact that it comes just a little more than a year after the band’s most recent album, 2015’s VII: Sturm Und Drang, it is a little bit of a surprise.  Usually when established bands release such a recording it comes a little bit longer after the acts’ most recent recordings.  That is to tide audiences over until their next record.  Even with this in mind, the record still boasts its own share of positives, beginning with its overall makeup.  The five-song recording is composed of two studio tracks and three live recordings.  The studio tracks sound like leftovers, interestingly enough, from the band’s sessions for its last record.  The live recordings were taken from the band’s most recent tour.  In essence what that mix of material offers the band’s fans is the proverbial best of both worlds.  To that end, it shows why it is such an important part of the recording’s overall presentation.  It is not the only key element to note in examining the record’s overall presentation.  The material itself presents its own importance to the recording’s presentation.

The overall mix of material that is presented in The Duke is in itself key to the recording’s presentation.  That is because it offers the band’s fans the best of both worlds in one setting.  It is just one of the key elements to note in examining the record.  The studio tracks included in the record are important to note, too.  Listeners who are familiar with the band’s body of work will note that the songs – ‘The Duke’ and ‘Culling’ – are both very familiar in terms of their arrangements.  They exhibit the same growth exhibited in VII: Sturm Und Drang.  The latter presents an arrangement that echoes the arrangements composed for the band’s previous records while the prior presents the more melodic hard rock leanings included only in VII: Sturm Und Drang.  Considering that, one can only think that these two songs were likely little more than b-sides that ended up on the proverbial cutting room floor during the sessions for that record.  To that end, it serves as a good continuation of what the band started with VII: Sturm Und Drang and an equally welcome introduction to the band for those listeners who might not be so familiar with the band and its body of work.  Even with its importance it is not the last of the recording’s most important elements.  The live material that is included in the recording is just as important in its own right as the studio material.

The studio material that is featured in The Duke is important in its own right to the record’s presentation.  That is because it serves as a solid reintroduction to the band and an equally solid introduction to the band for those who might be less familiar with the band.  Even as important as it is to the record’s presentation, it is not the last element to note.  The live material that is included alongside the studio material is just as important to the record’s presentation as the record’s studio material.  That is because it gives listeners a glimpse into what makes the band just as popular in a live setting as in the studio.  What’s more all three of the songs featured in this recording – ‘Still Echoes,’ ‘512’ and ‘Engage The Fear Machine’ – all come from VII: Sturm Und Drang.  To that end, not only are audiences able to experience the band live through these songs but they are also getting a dose of the band’s most recent album.  When they are set against the record’s two “new” songs, they make a five song record that is essentially a continuation of VII: Sturm Und Drang, or VII: Sturm Und Drang Part 2.  Considering this, The Duke, while a bit of a surprise release from Lamb of God, is still an enjoyable new offering from Lamb of God.

Lamb of God’s  new EP The Duke is a bit of a surprise from the veteran metal outfit, considering how soon it comes after the release of the band’s latest album.  Even with that in mind, it is still an enjoyable new offering in its own right.  That is because its mix of studio and live material essentially makes it a continuation of VII: Sturm Und Drang.  That is evidenced in the studio material, which sounds like it came right from the sessions for that record, and the live material, which presents a small handful of songs from that album in a live setting.  When they are joined together, the studio tracks and live tracks make the record a record that despite its somewhat surprising release, an enjoyable new offering from the band nonetheless.  It is available now in stores and online.  More information on The Duke is available online now along with all of Lamb of God’s news at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.lamb-of-god.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lambofgod

Twitter: http://twitter.com/lambofgod

 

 

 

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Battle Cry Is A Loud, Proud Live Statement From Judas Priest

Courtesy: Epic Records

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary a battle cry is a word, phrase, or sound that is shouted by soldiers in a battle.  It is also called a phrase or saying that is used to make people support an idea, a cause, etc.  Keeping this in mind it makes sense that Judas Priest would call its new live recording Battle Cry.  That is because this new recording–due out this Friday, March 25^th on CD, DVD, and Blu-ray–will have home viewers chanting the band’s name as if it was a battle cry just as much as audiences that were in attendance at the taping of the concert featured in the new recording.  There is a lot to say to the positive about this new recording, especially on DVD and Blu-ray beginning with the show’s set list.  The main concert’s set list runs seventeen songs deep and roughly ninety minutes in time.  There are also three bonus songs included in the recording bringing the set list to a total of twenty songs and the feature’s total run time (trt in TV terms) to nearly two hours.  It is just one part of what makes this recording a success.  The band’s stage presence is another part of the experience that makes it so memorable.  In comparison to the band’s previous live recording Epitaph (2013) the band’s stage presence in this recording is noticeably more lively to say the very least.  It is a welcome change of pace.  Last but hardly least of note in this recording is its production values.  Between the sound, the camera work and the final product produced in post, the concert proves to be an experience that translates quite well on screen in those aspects.  Each element is important in its own way to the whole of the recording.  Collectively, they make this latest live recording from Judas Priest one of 2016’s top new live recordings.

Judas Priest’s new live recording Battle Cry is one of 2016’s top new live recordings.  That is because the band’s roughly ninety-minute performance will leave audiences chanting the band’s name like warriors chanting a battle cry.  One reason that it will impress audiences so much is its set list.  The set list runs seventeen songs deep and roughly an hour and a half.  It pulls songs from the band’s nearly five-decades-long career.  It includes the likes of ‘Breaking The Law,’ ‘Hell Bent For Leather,’ ‘Painkiller,’ ‘Redeemer of Souls,’ and a number of others from across the band’s expansive catalogue.  The concert’s DVD and Blu-ray platform features three extra performances as bonus features in the form of ‘Screaming For Vengeance,’ ‘The Rage,’ and ‘Desert Plains,’  That brings the set list to a total of twenty songs and the recording’s total run time to nearly two hours.  To be more exact, it comes to a total of roughly an hour and forty minutes.  In other words, audiences get a complete concert in this recording’s set list.  They get that concert without having to leave the comfort of their homes and without having to spend the exorbitant prices of admission, gas, concessions, and any other costs that go into attending a live show in person.  To that extent, the concert’s expansive set list is plenty of reason in itself for audiences and fans alike to add Battle Cry to their home music collections and DVD/BD libraries.  OF course it is hardly the recording’s only positive.  There is also the matter of the band’s stage presence here.

The set list that is featured in Judas Priest’s new live recording is in itself an important part of the recording’s whole.  That is because it doesn’t just focus on the band’s most recent album Redeemer of Souls.  Instead the band attempts to cover as much of its expansive body of work as possible over the course of its ninety minute run time.  The set list is just one important part of the recording that should be noted.  The band’s stage presence throughout this recording is just as important to note as the concert’s set list.  The band’s stage presence throughout this concert, originally recorded August 1^st, 2015 at the annual Wacken Open Air Festival, translates quite well to home viewers.  Compared to the band’s stage presence in its last live recording, 2013’s Epitaph it is far more energetic here.  This applies not just to front man Rob Halford but to his band mates, too.  For those that have not yet seen Epitaph, the set list in that recording was impressive.  But the band’s stage presence just didn’t seem entirely there in that performance.  Halford and company didn’t really move around the stage much or even interact with the audience that much.  That left the band’s performance of its set list to shoulder the load so to speak.  The energy was there in the songs.  It just wasn’t entirely there in terms of the band members’ overall performance.  Flash forward to the 2015 Wacken Open Air Festival and audiences see a completely different band.  Halford and company come across as being rejuvenated here.  Halford at one point even pulls a Freddie Mercury impersonation of sorts as he gets the audiences of thousands to respond to his call as part of the setup to one of the show’s songs.  The way that he strutted across the stage and got the audience to respond conjures those thoughts.  Whether or not Halford was in fact trying to emulate the late great front man is anyone’s guess.  Regardless, that interaction between Halford and the audience is a nice touch to the show in its simplicity.  Ian Hill, Richie Faulkner, and Glenn Tipton all do their own part to add to the band’s stage presence as does drummer Scott Travis.  All four men exhibit their own energy in their performances throughout the concert.  Again by comparison the difference is clearly visible.  And together with Halford’s energy, the band members’ collective power throughout the show makes the concert that much more enjoyable for audiences and fans alike.  Of course one cannot deny the role that the work of those in the show’s production crew and those involved in the concert’s post production played in the translation of that stage presence to home viewers.  Their collective work rounds out the recording’s most important elements.

The set list featured in Judas Priest’s new live recording and the band’s performance of said set list both play their own important part in the recording’s presentation.  Collectively, they make the recording a joy for audiences and fans alike.  The songs cover a respectable swath of the band’s extensive catalogue.  The band’s performance of that set list obviously captured audiences in attendance at the concert’s taping and kept them completely engaged from start to finish.  It will have the same impact on home viewers, too.  Speaking of those home viewers, a big reason that the concert in whole will keep home viewers just as engaged is the work of those that captured the concert and those that handled it in post-production.  The camera crew and those behind the boards did an exceptional job of capturing the band’s energy as it worked its way through its set.  The camera crew captured the whole thing from quite a few angles to say the very least.  There are various shots throughout the show from the vantage point of the audience.  There are just as many shots from the stage, too.  Audiences get to get up close and personal so to speak with Scott Travis more than once.  And needless to say the effect of those shots is in itself powerful as he drives the band through each song.  Audiences also get plenty of different angles of Halford and company as well as shots of the immense crowd in attendance.  The whole of the footage results in an experience that will keep home viewers completely engaged in the show from beginning to end.  Those behind the concert’s audio mix are to be commended just as much as those behind the cameras.  That is because just as indoor concerts pose their own challenges, so do outdoor shows.  And being that this festival is as massive as it is, the challenges had to have been great to say the very least.  Sound has the capability to spread out in all directions both from the stage and from the audience.  Luckily, those behind the boards balanced everything with the utmost expertise throughout the show thus making the experience all the more enjoyable.  The end result of the production crew’s work in whole is a concert experience that audiences and fans alike will want to take in time and again.  For all of their efforts, those that handled the concert’s post-production are to be commended in their own right, too.  That is because their efforts paid off just as much as those of the crew that captured the concert in its original taping.  Those that edited the original concert in preparation for its release assembled the original footage in a way that assured a solid translation from live to screen.  They also balanced the concert’s audio levels with the same expertise, giving the concert a sound that demands it be heard on a surround sound home theater system.  That is not to say that it can’t be enjoyed on a TV by itself.  But it can be said that a home theater system offers the best experience in terms of the concert’s sound.  Again that is thanks to the work of those the handled the concert’s post-production.  Their efforts and those of the concert’s original production crew come together in the end to make the overall experience one that is just as good as being there in person if not better since it’s in the comfort of audiences’ own homes.  And together with the show’s set list and the band’s performance of said set list, the recording in whole proves to be an easy, early candidate for any critic’s list of 2016’s top new live recordings.

Judas Priest’s new live recording Battle Cry is undeniably one of this year’s early picks for the year’s best new live recordings list.  The reasons for this are plenty, too.  The roughly ninety-minute set list features a number of the band’s biggest hits from its nearly five decades-long career.  The band’s stage presence throughout that time is just as important as it shows a band that still has plenty left in its collective, proverbial tank.  That is clear in the band’s performance of each song.  The concert’s production values both in regards to the original taping and the concert’s post-production are just as much to applaud as the band’s stage presence and the show’s set list.  The concert’s production values round out its most important elements.  That is because without the expert work put into bringing the concert home the concert wouldn’t even be worth watching.  Thankfully though, that isn’t the case.  Thanks to its top notch production values, the band’s performance and its set list make this recording a concert that audiences and fans alike will want to experience and should experience.  All things considered, Battle Cry is a recording that will leave audiences and fans alike proudly chanting the band’s name along with those that were in attendance at the show’s original recording.  They will agree as they chant the Judas Priest battle cry that this recording is one of 2016’s best live recordings.  It will be available in stores and online this Friday, March 25^th via Epic Records.  More information on Battle Cry is available online now along with all of Judas Priest’s latest news at:

 

Website: http://www.judaspriest.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OfficialJudasPriest

Twitter: http://twitter.com/judaspriest

 

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Judas Priest Announces New Live Recording On The Way

Courtesy: Epic Records

Judas Priest has a new live recording on the way this spring.

The veteran hard rock outfit announced this week that it will release Battle Cry its latest live recording on Friday, March 25^th. Originally recorded on August 1^st, 2015 during the band’s performance at the annual Wacken Open Air Festival the recording will be presented on CD/DVD/Blu-ray. The set’s CD platform features fifteen songs that span the band’s nearly five-decades-long career. Those songs include: ‘Dragonaut,’ ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Coming,’ ‘Victim of Changes,’ ‘Hell Bent For Leather’ and many others. The concert’s DVD and Blu-ray presentation each feature their own equally extensive set list. It includes the likes of ‘Turbo Lover,’ ‘Breaking The Law,’ ‘Living After Midnight’ and a number of others also included in the package’s CD platform. There is even a trio of songs recorded at a separate performance included as bonus material. The full track listing for both the CD and DVD and Blu-ray presentation is noted below. Audiences can view a trailer for the upcoming concert recording online now via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZH9ptg58ck.

 

Battle Cry CD sequence:
1.     (Intro) Battle Cry
2.     Dragonaut
3.     Metal Gods
4.     Devil’s Child
5.     Victim of Changes
6.     Halls of Valhalla
7.     Redeemer of Souls
8.     Beyond the Realms of Death
9.     Jawbreaker
10.  Breaking the Law
11.  Hell Bent For Leather
12.  The Hellion
13.  Electric Eye
14.  You’ve Got Another Thing Coming
15.   Painkiller

Battle Cry DVD/Blu-ray sequence:

1. (Intro) Battle Cry
2. Dragonaut
3. Metal Gods
4. Devil’s Child
5. Victim of Changes
6. Halls of Valhalla
7. Turbo Lover
8. Redeemer of Souls
9. Beyond the Realms of Death
10. Jawbreaker
11. Breaking the Law
12. Hell Bent For Leather
13. The Hellion
14. Electric Eye
15. You’ve Got Another Thing Coming
16. Painkiller
17. Living After Midnight

Recorded live on August 1st, 2015 at Wacken Festival, Germany.

BONUS TRACKS
18. Screaming for Vengeance
19. The Rage
20. Desert Plains

 

Battle Cry will be released in stores and online on Friday, March 25^th via Epic Records. Pricing information for the CD/DVD and CD/BD packages will be announced soon. More information on this recording is available online now along with all of Judas Priest’s latest news and more at:

 

Website: http://www.judaspriest.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OfficialJudasPriest

Twitter: http://twitter.com/judaspriest

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Fifth Harmony Gets Spooky With Hotel Transylvania 2 Soundtrack’s Lead Single

Courtesy: Sony Pictures Animation

Adam Sandler and company are back. Next month, Sony Pictures Animation will release Hotel Translyvania 2. And ahead of the highly anticipated movie’s release, the hit pop group Fifth Harmony has debuted the lead single from the movie’ s sound track ‘I’m In Love With A Monster’ and audiences can check it out online now via Vevo.

Courtesy: Epic Records

Audiences can check out the video for ‘I’m In Love With A Monster’ online now via Vevo at http://www.vevo.com/watch/fifth-harmony/Im-In-Love-With-a-Monster-(from-Hotel-Transylvania-2)/USSM21501512. The video mixes together footage of the group performing its song in various settings along with footage from the movie as well as appearances from some rather spooky guests. While many of the group’s songs are generally aimed at specific audiences, the infectious grooves and family friendly lyrical content are sure to make the song just one more part of the movie that families will enjoy.

Fifth Harmony is currently winding down its “Reflection Summer Tour.” It is currently scheduled to perform live at Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Maryland on Saturday, September 5th and at the Washington State Fair on Wednesday, September 16th. After those two dates, the group will take some down time, it will be back on Stage on Wednesday, December 2nd at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. All of the latest updates on Fifth Harmony’s tour is available online now along with all of the group’s latest news at:

Website: http://www.fifthharmonyofficial.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fifthharmony

Twitter: http://twitter.com/fifthharmony

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Shockwave Supernova Packs A Powerful Musical Punch

Courtesy: Legacy Recordings

Late last month, veteran virtuoso guitarist Joe Satriani released his latest album Shockwave Supernova. The album, Satriani’s fifteenth full-length studio recording, is perhaps Satch’s best record to date, harking back to the days of Crystal Planet and Is There Love In Space? That is not to say that it just re-hashes the songs presented in those albums. Rather it just means that it possesses the same energy and similar vibe of said albums throughout all fifteen of its tracks. At the same time, the professor doesn’t stick to just one style of song throughout the album. The blues style arrangements for which Satch has become so well known are represented here yet again most notably by the laid back groove of ‘San Francisco Blue.’ The album’s opener and title track clearly show the influence of Satriani’s previously noted albums with its complex arrangement and sound. The album’s closer ‘Goodbye Supernova’ is another good example of the growth exhibited in this album. It shows yet again with its string arrangements and almost Pink Floyd-inspired sound just how in depth Satriani can get with his compositions. Whether through this song, either of the previously noted works, or for any of the album’s other songs not more directly noted here, it can be said that Shockwave Supernova is one of Joe Satriani’s best albums to date, one of the year’s best new rock records, and potentially one of the year’s best new albums overall.

Shockwave Supernova is a triple-threat of a record. It is one of the best of this year’s new rock records, one of Satriani’s best albums to date, and potentially one of the year’s best new albums overall. That is because the picture painted by the album’s fifteen tracks is one that is entirely new while showing a clear influence from at least a couple of Satch’s classic albums–Crystal Planet and Is There Love in Space? Long-time fans will note that while Satriani doesn’t just re-hash the songs composed for those records in this presentation, the songs do at least show their influence through their collective vibe. One of the album’s arrangements that proves this (and does so quite well at that) is the blues-based jam ‘San Francisco Blue.’ The song’s familiar laid-back groove is established not just by Satriani in this case but also by his band mates–Mike Keneally (keyboards, guitar), Marco Minnemann (drums), and Bryan Beller (bass). It could even be argued that Minnemann’s work behind the kit lies at the heart of that groove. That easy-going groove set against Satriani’s equally smooth riffs and the Beller’s harmonies and low end instantly conjures thoughts of someone overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge on a sunny day, and cruising back and forth along the famous zig-zagging Lombard Street. Listeners could even close their eyes and see people strolling along the bay’s equally famed Fisherman’s Wharf or going for a ride on one of the city’s many legendary cable cars. Such images alongside such a calming and original sound clearly show why this song is an exemplar of this new record’s positives. It is just one of those positives, too. the album’s opener and title track serves as just as much of an example of what makes this record so enjoyable.

The laid-back, easygoing groove of ‘San Francisco Blue’ and the images generated by said groove make this song a clear example of what makes Shockwave Supernova one of Joe Satriani’s best records to date. The vibe generated by that groove will take listeners back to Satriani’s older recordings without leaving them feeling that he has just re-hashed the bluesy pieces included in said records. The title track/opener to this record will have much the same effect. The multiple time signatures that Satriani and company have to negotiate in the song’s opening bars instantly take listeners back to the days of Crystal Planet as do the rest of the song’s driving tempos. While Satriani’s talents are on full display here once again, listeners will be happy to know that he doesn’t hog the limelight here. That is saying quite a bit especially with the song being the album’s opener. Minnemann shines as he maintains the song’s driving tempo all while navigating some rather impressive poly-rhythmic patterns throughout the song. It can be assumed that Mike Keneally handles the keyboard line in this arrangement. And while that line doesn’t necessarily steal the spotlight, it is just as impressive in its subtle addition to the song. The combination of those three lines and Beller’s low-end shows clearly why this song was chosen to open the album and why once again the album in whole proves to be another impressive recording from Joe Satriani.

Both ‘San Francisco Blue’ and ‘Shockwave Supernova’ show in their own way just what makes Joe Satriani’s latest effort such an impressive new collection of songs. Of course they are only part of what makes this record one of the year’s best new rock records and potentially one of the year’s best new records overall. The album’s closer ‘Goodbye Supernova’ is just as solid of an example of what makes Shockwave Supernova so impressive as the previously noted songs. That is because it proves to be just as much of a departure from those previously noted songs as they are from one another. It is a much more reserved work complete with string arrangement and what is either a piano ine or a rather solid bass line. Regardless of bass or piano, that low end, when coupled with the string arrangements and Satriani’s own guitar line, rounds out a work that is just as perfect of a closing number as the album’s title track is an opener. All of the lines combined create a full, rich sound that is both soothing yet mysterious at the same time. It is a sound that is the perfect final statement from Satriani on this record. As with certain other works included in the record, it is another piece that long-time fans will appreciate because of its similarity to works included in the likes of Crystal Planet and Is There Love in Space? At the same time, it serves as a fitting accent that even in its reserved sound is just as strong as any of the more energetic pieces presented throughout the record’s sixty-four minute run time. When combined with those other songs (including the pieces noted here), it becomes the final touch on an album that in whole proves exactly why it is one of this year’s best new rock records and potentially one of the best new albums of the year overall.

Joe Satriani’s fifteenth full-length studio recording is one of this year’s best new rock records and potentially one of the year’s best new albums overall. That is proven time and again over the course of the album’s fifteen total tracks. From the familiar blues-tinged sound of ‘San Francisco Blue’ to the equally familiar sound of the album’s opener, which will take long-time fans back to previous great Satriani records such as Crystal Planet and Is There Love in Space? to the reserved yet mysterious sound of the album’s closer this record proves in the end to be one that every listener will appreciate regardless of their familiarity with Joe Satriani’s body of work. The same can be said of the roughly dozen tracks not noted here. Those tracks each add their own element of enjoyment to this album. Collectively, they prove Shockwave Supernova to be a record that while obviously not as powerful as the shockwave from a supernova (to say the least) is a record that will still have quite the impact on audiences. That impact will lead audiences new and old alike to agree that this record is one of the year’s best new rock records and potentially one of the year’s best new albums overall. Shockwave Supernova is available now in stores and online. More information on Shockwave Supernova is available online now along with all of the latest updates to Satriani’s current tour schedule and all of his latest news at:

Website: http://www.satriani.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joesatriani

Twitter: http://twitter.com/chickenfootjoe

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Lamb Of God Takes No Prisoners As It Storms This Year’s Hard Rock And Metal Field

Courtesy: Epic Records

It’s official. Lamb of God is back. The veteran metal band, which was once tapped as part of the so-called New Wave of American Heavy Metal, released its latest full-length studio effort on July 24th. The album, the band’s seventh, is one that almost didn’t happen. That is because of front man Randy Blythe’s 2012 court case stemming from the death of one of the band’s fans in 2010 at one of the band’s live shows in Prague. Blythe faced the possibility of spending quite a bit of time behind bars as a result of the fan’s death as he was implicated in sad fan’s death. Thankfully that didn’t happen. And because it didn’t fans now have an album in VII: Sturm Und Drang that is both one of the band’s best albums to date and that is one of the best of this year’s hard rock and metal albums. The record is anchored by the trademark musical and lyrical intensity that the band’s fans have come to know so well over the years as is evident in ‘#512’ and ‘Engage The Fear Machine.’ Though, for its familiar sound and feel, the band does throw a proverbial wrench in the works, branching out slightly in regards to its musical content in ‘Overlord.’ All three songs show in their own way that Lamb of God is indeed back. They are hardly the only songs that could be cited in making that argument. The standard edition features seven other songs that could just as easily be used for that argument. The deluxe extended edition no fewer than nine other tracks as fodder for that argument as it includes a pair of bonus recordings. All things considered, VII: Sturm Und Drang (storm and penetrated, roughly translated) proves both in its standard and deluxe editions to be an album that is, again, one of Lamb of God’s best recordings yet and one of this year’s best new hard rock and metal recordings.

Lamb of God’s latest full-length album VII: Sturm Und Drang is one of the band’s best recordings to date and one of the best of this year’s crop of new hard rock and metal albums. It is an especially welcome recording from one of the members of the so-called New Wave of American Heavy Metal considering that it almost didn’t happen. From beginning to end, fans will note the band’s trademark musical and lyrical intensity in every song including one of its highest moments, ‘#512.’ Considering the song’s lyrical content, one can’t help but think that it must be one of the two songs included in this record that were centered on the case in question. He writes in the song, “Six bars laid across the sky/Four empty walls to fill the time/One careless word, you lose your life/A grave new world awaits inside.” He goes on to write in the song’s chorus, “My hands are painted red/My future’s painted black/I can’t recognize myself/I’ve become someone else/My hands are painted red” The content contained in the song’s second and third verse strengthens the argument even more that this song is referencing the events of Blythe’s case. Both verses, when coupled with the intensity of the song’s musical content, illustrates the emotion that Blythe must have felt when he originally wrote this song. That is, again, if the song is indeed making reference to the case.

Regardless of whether or not #512 is indeed making reference to Randy Blythe’s case stemming from the death of one of LOG’s fans some five years ago, it is still one of the best moments of this already outstanding return for one of metal’s top acts. It is hardly the only positive that can be taken from the band’s new album. ‘Engage The Fear Machine’ is yet another positive from this outstanding work. Coming from a musical vantage point, ‘Engage The Fear Machine’ shows another familiar sound. The band’s technical expertise in this death metal style song. Drummer Chris Adler’s time keeping is without flaw. Mark Morton and Will Adler are just as tight together in the song’s dual-part approach to the songs. And the fire in Blythe’s voice as he screams will remind long-time fans just as much of the band’s previous works. Speaking in terms of the song’s lyrical content, the song hits just as hard as Blythe comments on the steady stream of fear, death, and destruction being fed to Americans from the media and other sources. He screams, “Here we go again/The world is coming to an end/Engage the fear machine and collect the dividends/That’s it, you filthy monkeys/Keep your eyes on the bright and shiny/Just for you/A brand new-and-improved catastrophe/Pure-bred Pavlov/Prime time apocalypse/Hit the panic button and reap the bloody benefits.” This is made even clearer as he screams in the song’s closing verse, “Stream the latest threat from the limelight economists/Fabricated peri from contagion to communists/Fear delivered to your door by racketeers and strategists/Another advertisement war sold by the media terrorists.” If there was any doubt before, then that doubt is completely eliminated here. The fear machine is the media. It is politicians. It is everybody in any sense of power that willingly drives people into submission through the use of fear. That reminder to not give in to the fear machine set alongside the song’s familiar powerhouse musical content makes even clearer why this song is one of the best of the band’s new album. While it is another of the album’s best moments, it is not the last of said moments. ‘Overlord’ is one of the album’s representative singles and justifiably so. It is yet another of the album’s most notable works.

‘#512’ and ‘Engage The Fear Machine’ are both key additions to Lamb of God’s new album. Both songs harken back to the band’s previous albums with their musical content. The songs’ lyrical content will impress just as much with their hard-hitting and thought-provoking lyrical content. While both songs show in their own way to be key additions to VII: Sturm Und Drang they are just a small collective glimpse into what makes this record such a welcome return for Lamb of God. The album’s latest single ‘Overlord’ is one more example of what makes this record a welcome return. It is perhaps the single most notable of the album’s songs because it is such a drastic departure for the band. The band’s signature speed and ferocity are both there. However, listeners are treated to more than just that familiar sound. The song starts out with a much slower hybrid Crowbar/Alice in Chains sort of sound that runs nearly three and a half minutes into the song’s six and a half-minute run time. Throughout that initial run, audiences actually get to hear for themselves that the band’s members can in fact do more than just play really fast and really loud. All five men show that they can play in a slow, controlled fashion just as much as they can fast and loud. Even Blythe’s vocals have a different sound in that run. It’s an interesting change of pace overall. It is just part of what makes this song such an interesting addition to the record, too. The song’s lyrical content, written by Blythe add even more interest. Blythe noted in an interview that lyrically speaking, the song is a commentary about how the world’s people have become completely self-obsessed and that the end result of that obsession can only be bad. He notes of the song that, “I wrote the song about the dangers of self-obsession in our distressingly myopic and increasingly entitled “me-now/now-me” culture; just like the couple in the video, many people can’t seem to look past their own relatively small problems to see the bigger picture: the world is in serious trouble. Having a bad day at work, or a fight with your significant other, or getting a crappy haircut or table service does not in any way shape or form constitute an emergency. Sometimes things just don’t work out the way we want them to deal with it. People who only see their own problems eventually wind up alone because no one wants to hear their crap anymore- we all know someone like that, always whining and complaining about some inconsequential setback as if it were the apocalypse. This song is for those people.” That statement is made clear as he screams, “A new time of declaration of distress/Strife, misery, and the pursuit of unhappiness/Endless complaining/No accountability/No reek of privilege and weightless tragedy.” It is made even clearer as he screams later in the song, “All the world’s a stage/But you are the only player/A black hole in the center of the universe/A dark cloud of despair/Caught in an endless rut/A Crisis without solution/Someone should stitch your mouth shut/And solve your f***ing problem.” This is a rather sharp indictment of those people. But again, everybody knows someone like the individual(s) noted here. That being the case, the fire in these words along with Blythe’s delivery style and the musical approach of his band mates combine to make ‘Overlord’ one of the album’s strongest songs if not the single strongest songs. Audiences can check out the song for themselves now along with its companion video via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNRsvFsY9qk. Together with the likes of ‘#512’ and ‘Engage The Fear Machine’ all three songs show together clearly why VII: Sturm Und Drang is a welcome return for Lamb of God. Those songs combined with the remaining tracks not noted here result in an album that is justifiably one of the best of this year’s hard rock and metal crop.

VII: Sturm Und Drang shows from beginning to end to be a welcome return for Lamb of God. Audiences will agree that regardless of whether they pick up the deluxe twelve-track edition or the standard ten-track record, it proves to be one of the best of this year’s crop of new hard rock and metal albums. This is thanks both to the musical talent displayed time and again throughout the body of the record and the commentary contained within each of the album’s songs. Whether for one of the tracks noted here or for any of the many others that could just as easily be noted, fans will agree that this applies in every one of the album’s songs. VII: Sturm Und Drang is available now in stores and online. The band is currently touring in support of the new record. It will be in Boston, MA tomorrow, August 4th and then in Holmdel, New Jersey on Wednesday. The band’s current tour schedule is listed below.

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR:

LAMB OF GOD W/ Slipknot, Bullet For My Valentine & Motionless In White

8/4 – Boston, MA @ XFINITY Center

8/5 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center

8/6 – Pittsburgh, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion

8/8 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

8/9 – Montreal, QC @ Parc Jean-Drapeau – Heavy Montreal

8/11 – Washington, DC @ Jiffy Lube Live

8/12 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach

8/14 – Indianapolis, IN @ Klipsch Music Center

8/15 – Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

8/16 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

8/19 – Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre

8/21 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre

8/22 – Garden City, ID @ Revolution Center – NO SLIPKNOT *New Show*

8/23 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheater

8/24 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena

8/26 – Concord, CA @ Concord Pavilion

8/28 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Resort Festival Grounds

8/29 – Phoenix, AZ @ AK-Chin Pavilion

8/30 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater

9/2 – Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheater

9/4 – Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

9/5 – Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion

More information on Lamb of God’s tour is available online along with all of the latest updates on its new album and all of the latest news from the band at:

Website: http://www.lamb-of-god.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lambofgod

Twitter: http://twitter.com/lambofgod

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Lamb of God Debuts Video For Upcoming Album’s New Single

Courtesy: Epic Records

Lamb of God has officially premiered the video for its latest single ‘Overlord.’

The second single from the band’s upcoming album Sturm Und Drang (roughly translated means storm and penetrate),’Overlord’ is considered one of the biggest departures for the band on its upcoming album. It can be viewed online now at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNRsvFsY9qk. Front man Randy Blythe explains of the song, “I wrote the song about the dangers of self-obsession in our distressingly myopic and increasingly entitled “me-now/now-me” culture; just like the couple in the video, many people can’t seem to look past their own relatively small problems to see the bigger picture: the world is in serious trouble. Having a bad day at work, or a fight with your significant other, or getting a crappy haircut or table service does not in any way shape or form constitute an emergency. Sometimes things just don’t work out the way we want them to- deal with it. People who only see their own problems eventually wind up alone because no one wants to hear their crap anymore- we all know someone like that, always whining and complaining about some inconsequential setback as if it were the apocalypse. This song is for those people.” The new video is the second for the band helmed by director Jorge Torres-Torres. His last time working with the band behind the lens was on the video for the song ‘512.’

In anticipation of Sturm Und Drang’s release on July 24^th, Lamb of God has announced a series of live dates with Slipknot, Bullet For My Valentine, and Motionless in White. The tour kicks off in West Palm Beach, Florida on the same day as the album’s release and currently runs through Saturday, September 5^th in Dallas, Texas. The current schedule for LOG’s upcoming tour is listed below.

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR:

LAMB OF GOD W/ Slipknot, Bullet For My Valentine & Motionless In White

7/24 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre

7/25 – Tampa, FL @ MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre

7/26 – Atlanta, GA @ Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood

7/28 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy MusicTheatre

7/29 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center

7/31 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center

8/1 – Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater

8/2 – Hartford, CT @ XFINITY Theatre

8/4 – Boston, MA @ XFINITY Center

8/5 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center

8/6 – Pittsburgh, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion

8/8 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

8/9 – Montreal, QC @ Parc Jean-Drapeau – Heavy Montreal

8/11 – Washington, DC @ Jiffy Lube Live

8/12 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach

8/14 – Indianapolis, IN @ Klipsch Music Center

8/15 – Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

8/16 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

8/19 – Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre

8/21 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre

8/22 – Garden City, ID @ Revolution Center – NO SLIPKNOT *New Show*

8/23 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheater

8/24 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena

8/26 – Concord, CA @ Concord Pavilion

8/28 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Resort Festival Grounds

8/29 – Phoenix, AZ @ AK-Chin Pavilion

8/30 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater

9/2 – Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheater

9/4 – Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

9/5 – Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion

Sturm Und Drang can be pre-ordered online now via iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/vii-sturm-und-drang-deluxe/id1000708954 and via Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/VII-Sturm-Drang-LAMB-GOD/dp/B00YH4Y7U4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1433367861&sr=8-1&keywords=lamb+of+god&tag=smarturl-20. Fans can also pre-order the album now direct from Lamb of God’s online store in a variety of bundle packs at http://lambofgod.shop.musictoday.com/page/preorder.

More information on Lamb of God’s tour is available online along with all of the latest updates on its new album and all of the latest news from the band at:

Website: http://www.lamb-of-god.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lambofgod

Twitter: http://twitter.com/lambofgod

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.