Review Summary: Wrath represents a band riding the lightning of popularity and as a result forgetting their identity.
I remember how hyped I was for Lamb of God's new album Wrath the exact day I picked it up. I certainly expected a strong release following the atmospheric, but solid record Sacrament. What I received, however, was a mix between shock and disappointment. While the band has succeeded in their popularity increase, the overall quality of the music has decreased. Wrath represents a band riding the lightning of popularity and as a result forgetting their identity. This is not Lamb of God's best material to date, yet there are scattered sections of the album that will impress you. Unfortunately, the whole album fails to impress even a die-hard fan like me.
As I mentioned before, there are good qualities found within the album. For example, the production is top notch and the best I have ever heard from Lamb of God. Think of a combination between the raw power of As The Palaces Burn and the polish of Sacrament. The mixing is well done, nothing seems to stick out too much during the flow of the album. It is clear, crisp, but also genuine, especially for a metal album. Moreover, the tweaks the band has done to their music is a positive. The album opener entitled 'The Passing' leads with a surprisingly appropriate acoustic introduction which opens well for one of the most impressive tracks on the album 'In Your Words'. Also, there are hints of experimentation in Wrath, proven by the diverse amount of groove and riffing throughout the album. Some songs, like Contractor, even allow the bass to be more prominent as seen at the 1:25 minute mark. Add these with the exceptional work of Chris Adler behind the drum kit, and you have what should be a very solid release. Sadly, this is just not the case.
The flaws of this album outweigh the positives. Unlike their previous records, Wrath definitely lacks memorability. I usually find myself tapping along to certain sections of older Lamb of God albums, like the breakdown during Blacken the Cursed Sun and the introduction to Ruin with my fingers. There are not too many songs on this that you will remember vividly after the first listen. Wrath is consistently good, very rarely does the album actually take off into greatness. Repetition is a problem as well. Some songs like Contractor and Dead Seeds feel too uninspired and could be considered filler on an album like Sacrament. Last but not least, Randy's vocals are a shadow of what they used to be. His semi-clean vocals in the chorus of Set to Fail come off awkward and forced, and even his legitimate growls and shrieks are either limited or weak.
Rating Wrath feels difficult for me. On one hand, I really enjoy the new production of the album, Lamb of God have never sounded better. There are a few great tracks on here too, specifically 'In Your Words', 'Grace', and the closer 'Reclamation'. Too bad these are the only great songs of the album. When the music is over, not much of the record really stands out unlike Lamb of God's previous three works. This is a good metal record, but disappointment kills it for me. I wanted a stronger outcome by one of my favorite metal bands, but you can't always get what you want. Wrath had the potential to be the first special album of the new year, instead the fans got an almost average sounding album from a more-than-capable band.
