The album opens with the brilliant trio of “Walk with Me in Hell,” “Again We Rise,” and “Redneck.” In “Walk with Me in Hell” there is some Byzantine-esque guitar work around 3 minutes (or maybe Byzantine does Lamb of God-esque guitar work…) and a damn fine solo near the end (almost as orgasmic as “Ashes of the Wake”). Then comes “Again We Rise,” my pick for the album’s best track. It opens with a deep shout, as opposed to Randy Blythe’s trademark high shriek/bark before a trademark Lamb of God lead. This song is where the first hint of vocal experimenting as whispers creep out of the speakers, adding just a slight bit of atmosphere (all without a keyboard!). I must admit that the aforementioned shout can be a little Phil Anselmo-ish at times, but it’s not as prevalent as I’ve read elsewhere. In any case, Lamb of God is taking Pantera’s place at the top of the American METAL (of any kind) heap. “Redneck” is the song that was sampled before the release both live and on the website, and when it was all of Sacrament I had heard I must admit I was nervous. There seemed to be too much bland staccato riffage, but the song has grown on me tremendously. Randy’s deep shout vocal style shows up again (I’m trying to refrain from calling it clean singing because its not). A nice squealing solo makes its way into “Pathetic,” a nice change of pace from the usual deliberate, meticulous groove. “Foot to the Throat” is a song I don’t like too much. I never expected the semblance of a blast-beat from Chris Adler (but it’s only for a matter of seconds), and the opening riff reminds me a lot of “What I’ve Become” from Ashes of the Wake. This track, along with “More Time to Kill,” is heavy but just not that interesting. Fortunately “Descending” follows, and it’s a song I truly enjoy. It starts out slow (changes of pace are rare with Lamb of God, but good) and there is a lot of emotion in the song. Then there’s “Blackened the Cursed Sun,” which is sure to kill live due to Randy Blythe’s questions in the song. After this, we get a two-song suite of traditional Lamb of God with that trademark tempo and groove. “Beating on Death’s Door” closes the album with a fury of speed and has to be one of Lamb of God’s fastest songs, which in itself can be quite unbelievable after classics like “Blood of the Scribe.”

As an overall summation of the musicians, the vocals are clear but still brutal. Randy Blythe now has to be considered one of the top 10 vocalists in metal because of the range of things he can do. There is also the expected fantastic, varied, technical, bass bashing drumming by Chris Adler. The bass adds depth and the guitars are distinctive Willie Adler and Mark Morton: precise, sharp, groovy, and thrashy. The production compliments the flawless musicianship, unless you prefer the very guitar heavy production of As the Palaces Burn. The band makes uses subtle variations, like the sample on “Requiem,” to progress their sound and keep the album fresh through each listen. Lamb of God seems to have stopped trying to keep up a 100 mph pace throughout an album.

Sacrament is my vote for Lamb of God’s best album. They perfected their sound on Ashes of the Wake, and here they expand it just enough to keep the music fresh and new yet still trademark Lamb of God. Get this album even though you can buy the band’s merchandise in a mall. Get it. Now.

written by Kevin Penner

Playing time: 46.11