VII: Sturm und Drang

It may have taken seven records and a prison scare, but Lamb of God's expert growler, Randy Blythe, finally sings for once, on "Overlord," a grungy ballad on this LP — and he actually sounds good doing it. It feels like the threat of losing everything before Blythe was found not guilty in the death of a Czech fan shook loose a new energy in the band. Although there's plenty of Lamb of God's trademark guitar chug and Olympics-level drumming, the eerier moments (see the jailhouse tale "512") and unexpected guests (including members of Deftones and the Dillinger Escape Plan) show a group that's thirsty to evolve beyond its own established patterns.