Album Review: Lamb of God-Into Oblivion

The album cover of "Lamb of God-Into Oblivion" features an abstract and intricate artwork featuring an illuminated geometric structure with organic, vine-like extensions, set against a dark background, complemented by bold typography displaying "lamb of god" and "into oblivion."

If you’ve been listening to metal and you like it, but you’re curious if you can get into the more niche, heavier, darker variants without jumping in the deep end, I recommend Richmond, Virginia’s Lamb of God. They always deliver with driving, unique drums, a groovy, chugging pair of guitars, and vocals with a bit more snarl than their clean-singing counterparts, without dropping completely into the harsh vocal realm.

I especially recommend their albums Ashes of the Wake (2004) and Sacrament (2006) to get started, but on March 13, they released Into Oblivion, their 12th effort and their third with drummer Art Cruz. 

DISCLAIMER: This album is explicit.

The album begins with the title track, and as expected, it comes out swinging. Cruz’s drums are on point and the guitars are reminiscent of Lamb of God (2020 album) and Omens (2022), but vocalist Randy Blythe has added a bit of fry to his voice, which is a welcome change, even if I don’t want it on every song.

“Parasocial Christ”, on the other hand, throws the band in a completely different direction: old-school thrash, particularly reminiscent of Megadeth, only actually good. Fans of similar bands like Metallica and Slayer will welcome this song. It also features a guitar solo, something absent in many of their songs; it’s reminiscent of some Pantera and Slayer.

“Sepsis” is a bit different, with some weird vocal melodies. However, it has the first good breakdown on the album, near the end of the song. Lamb of God breakdowns are common and tasteful, and this is no exception. Blythe’s vocals lean more towards the high-pitched screaming common in other genres here.

“The Killing Floor” has multiple quality breakdowns as well, with something closer to Blythe’s regular singing voice.

“El Vacío” is lacking a bit. It has cliché acoustic verses with a Corey Taylor-esque vocal fry, before launching into high-energy but bland choruses. I see the appeal, but the appeal is not mine. “St. Catherine’s Wheel”, though, is high-quality, classic Lamb of God, with relentless chugs, driving percussion, and Southern swagger throughout.

“Blunt Force Blues” is quite reminiscent of their 2015 album Sturm und Drang, but I can’t seem to get into it. It has some flashes of brilliance and a great outro, but the song is just lacking creativity.

“Bully” is much better. The slow, syncopated chugs and Blythe’s distinctive voice shine through much better, and it’s more reminiscent of Lamb of God (album). The melodic tapping sections are similar to those seen on Sacrament but with a more modern, cleaner guitar tone.

“A Thousand Years” has cowbell. 11/10, no notes.

The album finishes with “Devise / Destroy”, which honestly might be the best song on the record. The riffs are unique, if a bit typical of the band; the creepy Southern Gothic intervals and phrygian scales add nice flavor, and Blythe’s voice returns to its crust-punk roots. Great song and a great ending, even if I did get blindsided by Slipknot after the album; thank you, Apple Music.

In all, Into Oblivion is a well-made album with some highs (this especially feels like Art Cruz’s best drumming), but it’s missing Lamb of God’s old roots, guitar tone, and bounciness. If you want to hear the original Lamb of God, I’d still go to Sacrament or Ashes of the Wake, but there are bangers on this album.