After going through some line-up changes and rebranding, Lamb of Gods current line-up is composed of bassist John Campbell, Randy Blythe, Mark Morton, Willie Adler, and Art Cruse. Lamb of God is considered to be part of the new wave of American heavy metal. The band recently released a documentary on the making of their new album ‘Omens’, which can be found on-demand or download on their web site.
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Friday October 14th Livenation brought in one of the most anticipated metal tours of the year with headliner Lamb Of God and supporting acts Killswitch Engage, Animals as Leaders, and Fit for an Autopsy .
Opening up the night was Fit for autopsy. Who just released a new album called ‘Oh What The Future Holds’. This band doesn’t fuck around and their post death core sound isn’t something to take likely. Both old school death metal heads and new school death core fans can and will appreciate what this band has done for the scene in a whole. Their live show doesn’t disappoint either as they bring their brutal signature sound to every show.
Up second was Animal as Leaders. They are as technical as they come in the metal world. Being this was my first time seeing and hearing them. What stuck out to me was how brilliant and precise the music was. It’s a true jazz instrumental infused metal project that’s not only impressive but extremely fun to watch live.
As the Arizona Financial theater started to fill up it was time for Killswitch Engage to take the stage. Opening up their set with ‘Strength of theMind’ the theater erupted and it sounded as if everyone was singing along. Killswitch Engage is one of the hardest working bands in the industry and their live show is no different. Killswitch Engage always comes to impress and anytime Adam Dutkiewiczis Is on stage means it’s time for a metal pizza party!
It was just after 9:30 when Lamb Of God took the stage. It was finally time to let your demons out and forget about your work week. As the black curtain with Lamb Of God‘s logo was slowly raised, you could hear the uproar of excitement coming from the crowd. They opened up with ‘Memento Mori’. It was the perfect calm before the storm as the ominous riffs and melancholy lyrics lulled the crowd into a dreamy trance. The crowd’s collective dream state was short lived however, as Randy Blythe was approaching the last part of the intro, his whispers descended into madness. His abrupt scream “WAKE UP” followed by the all too familiar blast beats sent the entire arena into absolute chaos. The floor area broke out into a giant circle pit and everyone was ready to witness the destruction that only Lamb Of God can bring.
During ‘Walk With Me In Hell’, Lamb of God brought the heat as fire balls were blasting upwards all throughout the stage. It was clear from the start that Lamb Of God didn’t skip on set design this time around. Between the high end and expertly timed pyrotechnics and the impressive lighting, the entire stage was a feast for the eyes. The expansive backdrop was lit up with green light shining on the Omens triangle that hovered over Art’s drum set. It was a powerful sight and really set the tone for the entire show. After all these years and countless tours watching Randy Blythe get up on the high riser and jump off makes my heart fall out of my chest. Randy Blythe is a man of very few words but his timing is impeccable. He’s able to get the crowd hyped mid song without missing a single lyric. Screaming “LETS GO” while pointing towards the sea of fans. It sounded as if everyone in the building was breaking sound decibel records from screaming and yelling.
When Lamb Of God took it back to their second album ‘As The Palaces Burn’ you could feel the atmosphere change. It was apparent what this album meant to Lamb Of God fans as they played and how special it was to hear these songs live after all these years. The three songs they played were ‘Ruin’ ‘11th Hour’ and ‘Vigil’. Lamb Of God’s live sets never fall short. Do not second guess yourself when it comes to seeing them live, you’ll be regretting it for a long time!
The amount of respect I have for every single member of this band is of course the highest! As each member brings a torrential amount of energy and passion to every performance, tour, and recording. After all these years they’re still kicking ass on and off stage while they continue to crank out music that will stand the test of time! Whether it’s from the very beginning with ‘New American Gospel’ or the newly released ‘Omens’, they are on a warpath, dominating the metal world with each album they release.
Set list Lamb of God
