Photo: Travis Shinn
First New Album in Five Years, Lamb Of God, Due Out June 19 on Epic Records
LAMB OF GOD have unleashed another track from their forthcoming self-titled album (now due June 19 via Epic Records) in the form of “New Colossal Hate” – a song which finds the band at the height of their formidable powers – unrelenting, unstoppable, and as always, setting the standard for aggressive modern music.
Where now-classic LAMB OF GOD slabs As the Palaces Burn (2003) and Ashes of the Wake (2004) zoomed in on specific issues, Lamb Of God (2020) takes a broader view, calling attention to and laying out an argument against intolerance, apathy and injustice, both in the United States and abroad.
The album tackles a broad range of issues, including the opioid crisis (“On the Hook”), school shootings (“Reality Bath”), and vocalist/lyricist D. Randall Blythe’s time protesting alongside native peoples at Standing Rock (“Routes”).
“New Colossal Hate,” which hits all digital and streaming services as a single and lyric video today – watch now at www.lamb-of-god.com – digs into the exploitative rhetoric and persistent “othering” of marginalized people that continues to divide.
Guitarist Willie Adler speaking on the composition of the song:
“’New Colossal Hate’ came out of our very first writing session in Maine. Mark, our producer Josh Wilbur and I were at a super cool studio in South Windham called Halo. An absolutely beautiful spot run by some of the best people I’ve ever met. I’m pretty sure ‘New Colossal Hate’ grew from a few different demos I had. You know, like parts of car. However, as it started to take shape, it quickly became my favorite song on the record. Please enjoy this banger of a tune. It holds a very special place in my heart.”
“New Colossal Hate” follows the official music video for “Memento Mori,” which has been viewed more than 3.5 million times since its late March debut. Executed from a narrative treatment written by Blythe, “Memento Mori” features a blistering performance from guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, drummer Art Cruz, and Blythe, juxtaposed against a grim storyline costarring Sinisteria, a dark performance troupe led by fellow Richmond, Virginia, natives Sabrina Elliotte and Gwooki.
Audiences got a taste of the first new LAMB OF GOD music in nearly five years with “Checkmate” back in February. All three songs will appear on Lamb Of God, the follow-up to VII: Sturm und Drang(2015). The album was once again produced by collaborator Josh Wilbur (Gojira, Korn, Megadeth,Trivium), fueled by a mountain of riffs and looming rhythmic shadows. It’s also the band’s first record with Cruz, who sat behind the kit with LAMB OF GOD in 2018 and became an official member the following year.
LAMB OF GOD propelled heavy metal into the new millennium two decades ago with the prophetically titled New American Gospel. They followed with 2003’s As the Palaces Burn, which made the Rolling Stone list of the Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time. Ashes of the Wake(2004) was the first LAMB OF GOD album to be certified gold by the RIAA, followed by Sacrament(2006), which debuted in Billboard’s Top 10. Wrath (2009) earned the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hard Rock, Rock, and Tastemaker charts and was No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Those No. 1 positions were repeated with Resolution (2012). VII: Sturm und Drang (2015) debuted at No. 3 in North America and in the Top 5 in several countries. The single “512” from VII: Sturm und Drang received a Grammy nod for the “Best Metal Performance,” making it LAMB OF GOD’s fifth Grammy nomination.
The new album features guest appearances from Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed) and Chuck Billy (Testament). Blythe sounds more driven and insightful than ever on Lamb Of God, offering up the angriest and most comprehensive diatribes, addressing modern life in the current landscape, of his storied career thus far.
LAMB OF GOD is:
D. Randall Blythe – Vocals
Mark Morton – Guitar
Willie Adler – Guitar
John Campbell – Bass
Art Cruz – Drums
LAMB OF GOD online:
