The roots of Lamb of God were planted in the year 1990, when Mark Morton, Chris Adler and John Campbell were friends at Virginia Commonwealth University. The trio began playing at Adler's house in Richmond weathering chilly conditions. "There was no heat in the house," recalls Campbell. "We would hang around the kerosene heaters, get really drunk and write metal songs. Fumes and Black Label beer were definitely what fueled our early days."
After graduation, Morton moved to Chicago to pursue a master's degree, but the band continued. A new guitarist, Abe Spear, replaced Morton as the band retired its instrumental sound and added Randy Blythe on vocals.
The quartet, known then as Burn the Priest, became a fixture in the tightly-knit Richmond music scene. To compete with the high-level of musicianship displayed by their contemporaries, the band adopted a rigid practice schedule. "To this day, we practice five days a week out of necessity," says Campbell. "The bands in Richmond can flat outplay you and if you don't practice, they will blow you off the stage. Bands like Breadwinner and Sliang Laos - two local math-metal bands - could play insanely complicated music note perfect. They inspired us to raise the bar musically and taught us the work ethic we needed to be a success."
The band was playing around Virginia when Mark Morton moved back from Chicago and re-joined the group. Soon after, Burn the Priest released a self-titled full length album on Legion Records. Abe left soon after, which opened a spot for guitarist, and brother to Chris - Willie Adler.
A year after the second Adler joined, in 2000, Burn the Priest changed its name to Lamb of God, and signed a record deal with Prosthetic Records. The band's independent-debut, New American Gospel, was released in the year 2000. "This album was all about creating a rhythmic and pummeling musical landscape with riff after riff," explains Morton. Drummer Adler notes: ''This is a classic record. We had all the elements come together to make one of the heaviest, yet contagious records of our career. It was difficult to contain us - we didn't even understand at the time what we had created."
Two years of extensive touring to support the album raised Lamb of God's profile before the band released the critically acclaimed, As The Palaces Burn (2003). ATPB won record of the year honors in such notable magazines as Revolver and Metal Hammer while garnering mainstream press in Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly.
The band hit the road again and began headlining tours across the globe. In the fall of 2003 Lamb of God was a co-headliner on the first ever MTV's Headbanger's Ball Tour which elevated Lamb of God beyond the underground. The band then released Terror and Hubris, a DVD, featuring early live performances, videos for "Ruin" and "Black Label" and behind-the-scenes footage highlighting the work ethic, humility and sense of humor of one of the most respected and influential bands around today. The DVD proved to be a commercial success as it entered the Billboard Music DVD Charts at #32.
Gradually, Lamb of God's persistence paid off. Their 2003 disc, As The Palaces Burn earned them a new level of respect and admiration, but it was 2004's virulent major label debut (Epic Records) Ashes of the Wake that turned the band into true contenders for the metal throne. By mid 2006, the record had sold over 275,000 copies. Revolver magazine voted it the album of the year, a Guitar World readers poll deemed it best metal album and awarded the band "most valuable players," "best shredders" and "best riffs." The video for "Now You've Got Something to Die For" earned "best video" from both Headbanger's Ball and Revolver. And a DVD chronicling the tour and life on the road with the band, Killadelphia, has gone gold. Lamb of God supported Ashes with more relentless touring, now playing mostly arenas and festivals, starting with a headlining run on Second Stage at Ozzfest 2004, and ending by headlining the North American Sounds of The Underground Festival in 2005.
The political angst that fueled the lyrics on As The Palaces Burn continues unabated on Ashes of the Wake. However, Blythe admits that his plans to write songs about personal responsibility quickly changed. "Mark and I write most of the lyrics together, and at the start of this album we agreed that we wanted to concentrate on internal instead of external politics," he explains. "But as we got into it, considering the condition of the world today, we felt obligated as responsible artists to give accurate social commentary, and that meant writing a few indictments against the powers that be."
Mixing a call to arms with a sneering disdain balances Ashes of the Wake. "In the end, I think the album is stronger because we show the relation between internal and external politics instead of just focusing on one or the other," Blythe says. "These songs are a reality check for everyone because they rail against a wrong-headed government and against the apathetic people that ignore the government and allow it to exist."
After Ashes of the Wake, they had been praised as one of the leaders of the new American metal movement, and while they were flattered to be considered part of something so influential, this time they wanted to stand alone. "I believe it's important for us to create a legacy for this band, and I don't want that legacy to be in association with anyone else," Adler says. "In our minds, we're a cut above and we feel like we put out a whole lot more."
Towards the end of 2005, the band stopped all touring and came home to Richmond, VA, to begin writing the next chapter. An intense 8 month writing process followed. "We pretty much killed ourselves working on it five to six days a week for six to eight hours a day," says drummer Chris Adler. "It was important to push ourselves into uncomfortable territory as players. A lot of times one of us would say, 'I'm not sure if I can play that.' The typical response was, 'Well, you've got a year to figure it out.' We pushed ourselves to step it up and threw out a lot of decent material because we were insisting on only the best." One reason Lamb of God pushed so hard is because they wanted to create something that couldn't be classified, categorized or marginalized.
August 22, 2006 brought Sacrament, a stunning example of how diverse, articulate and pummeling metal can be. It's a record that emphasizes just how far the band members have come as players, writers and people and stands as a true testament of triumph over adversity. With Sacrament, Lamb of God has stoked the flames by stripping the flesh to the bone and examining the carnage. The songs are bleak and dark, yet key ingredients of a ride that's as breathless, exhilarating and terrifying as an overdose.
Guitarist and co-lyricist Mark Morton notes the band chose the name Sacrament based on a specific lyrical reference as well as a more general symbolic perspective. "We like it because it employs the idea of the traditional religious Sacrament, which is something you do as ritual to get to a different level of your faith," he says. "Also, I thought it was symbolic in terms of us putting out another record and getting to the next stage of our musical development." "This is definitely a personal record and it's the darkest thing we've ever done," adds Blythe. "It stems from a lot of depression and a fucked up worldview. In the last couple years I've been going through a lot of weird, bad shit."
The biggest difference between Sacrament and Ashes of the Wake is the lyrical content. In the past, Lamb of God has lyrically been motivated by the hypocrisy, greed and turmoil of politics and politicians. This time the band turned within to reveal an even greater source of despair and frustration.
Songs like 'Pathetic' and 'Descending' for instance are about the whirlpool of addiction and alcoholism, 'Walk With Me In Hell' addresses the destruction of codependency and 'Blacken the Cursed Sun' confronts suicidal depression.
"The lyrics were so intense for me, when I was recording, it was like breathing pain instead of breathing air," Blythe says. "So, when it was done, I couldn't listen to the record for another two months. It just took so much out of me to get all this stuff out, I didn't want to touch it right away."
In addition to being relatively heavy, Sacrament is a sincere expression of the turmoil that has tumbled through the last few years of the band's existence. In an era of stagnant, contrived metal, Lamb of God is a harrowing rush of honesty, a declaration that no matter what anyone else is playing, Lamb of God will always follow their own hearts.
"This band was started because no one out there was making the music that we wanted to hear," singer Randy Blythe says. "So, we decided to make that music, and from that point it has just been a continuation of that philosophy. We had never changed anything we do to appeal to anyone, appease anyone or seek any sort of approval from anyone other than ourselves."
In 2009, Lamb of God released their sixth studio album 'Wrath' which debuted at No. 2 on the billboard top 200. The track 'Set to Fail' also received a Grammy nomination amongst other Metal heavyweights such as Megadeth, Slayer, Judas Priest, and Ministry. They spent the remainder of 2009 touring in support of the new album and expect to continue touring through most of 2010.
In an interview with Spin Magazine, Chris Adler stated that the band currently has plans to begin work on their seventh album (title unknown) at the start of 2011. The album has been stated to be released either the end of 2011 or the beginning of 2012 and the band will not be doing any public performances until 2012 according to Morton's personal Twitter account.
On June 28, 2012, Randy Blythe was arrested in Czech Republic for alleged manslaughter. He was released on August 3 on a $400,000 bail until the criminal proceedings are finished.
Despite statements from band members that Lamb of God planned to enter the studio in 2014 to begin recording their eighth studio album, hoping to complete it by the end of the same year, Chris Adler said in an interview with The Virginian-Pilot that besides the large amount legal fees the band encountered from Randy Blythe's trial, the band's inactivity during the trial had eventually depleted the band's funds and thus were unable to fulfill those plans.
On January 26, 2014, Randy Blythe posted a picture and a statement on his Instagram saying he would be taking a long break from Lamb of God. The band, after the then-current album cycle would be on hiatus, except for some summer festival appearances. By September, however, Blythe revealed that he was planning to release a new Lamb of God record, which uses lyrics he had written while he was incarcerated along with his book, Dark Days: A Memoir in early 2015.
The band began teasing a new album, with the placeholder title Lamb of God VII via Instagram and Twitter in late April 2015. A website, lambofgodvii.com, initially comprising an empty black screen, went online in early May. The "VII" (the roman numeral for the number seven) refers to the album being the band's seventh, and does not take into account the first of their albums, released with a slightly different line-up as Burn the Priest. On May 15, 2015, it was announced that the title of the new album VII: Sturm und Drang, and would be released in July via Epic and Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The first song, "Still Echoes" was made available for streaming on LambofGodVII.com, and available for digital download on May 18. In June of the same year, the band released a video for the song "512".
On November 14, 2016, Lamb of God released a new EP titled "The Duke", which featured two new songs from the VII: Sturm und Drang recordings and three live tracks. The title track is dedicated to a fan and friend of vocalist Randy Blythe, Wayne Ford, who died after a 5-year battle with leukaemia. In addition to the new release, several members of the band auctioned off their instruments, signed CDs, lyric books and gold records to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
On April 4, 2017, Blythe said it was time for the band to "really go on hiatus" after their summer North American tour; this was in reference to the first hiatus being on the back of his release from prison and acquittal. On August 10, guitarist Mark Morton confirmed that the band would be going on hiatus but stated that they would still be making music but did not hint at whether this was either for an upcoming release or indeed for Lamb of God at all.
On January 22, 2018, Lamb of God was announced as one of the bands supporting the Slayer Farewell Tour.
On March 22, 2018, Lamb of God announced that on May 18, 2018, they would release a cover album, Legion: XX under their original name Burn the Priest. It is the band's first album as Burn the Priest since their 1999 album.
On October 23, 2018, Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler was interviewed on the 486th Metal Injection Livecast and in the interview with Metal Injection he revealed that the band is aiming for a December 2019 release date for Lamb of God's tenth studio album. He also revealed in the interview that he had a conversation with fellow heavy metal drummer Lars Ulrich of the band Metallica about what it is like to work with ex-Metallica guitarist and current Megadeth lead vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine prior to working with him on Megadeth's 15th album, Dystopia, which was released in 2016.
In June 2019, on the topic of Chris Adler returning to the band on a touring basis, Randy Blythe stated during an interview with WSOU that he had no comment and that "it's hard to see what's going to happen with Chris Adler."On July 19, 2019, the band released a statement informing that they had indeed parted ways with Chris Adler, with Winds of Plague and former Prong drummer Art Cruz being named the new drummer of Lamb of God. They additionally stated that they had begun pre-production on their forthcoming 10th album.On October 23, 2019, Chris Adler released his own statement about his departure from Lamb of God revealing that he "did not make the decision to leave my life’s work" and he "is unwilling to paint by numbers".
On February 5, 2020, the band released "Checkmate" as the debut single from their self-titled album, Lamb of God, which marks the first song to feature new drummer Art Cruz. The album was initially planned to be released on May 8, but was postponed to June 19, 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Lamb of God will spend most of 2021 touring in support of the album, including a co-headlining US tour with Megadeth, and a European trek with Kreator and Power Trip.
In a September 2020 interview with Australia's Subculture Entertainment, Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton was asked how he was spending his coronavirus downtime. He responded, "Writing and recording and creating new music is my favorite part out of all the things we get to do. There's a lot of elements, a lot of components about being in a band like Lamb of God. Performing and touring is one of them. Writing and recording is another one of them. The writing and recording part is far and away my favorite part of what we get to do. And so I have been doing some writing. I've been writing some stuff for Lamb of God, some stuff for other people, some stuff for my own solo project, so there's a lot of new music jumping out of me right now."
On February 4, 2021, the band released a song called "Ghost Shaped People" off the upcoming deluxe version of their 2020 self-titled album. The reissue of the album is set for release on March 26, 2021.
Lamb Of God
Lamb of God Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is the lamb
This is the Lamb of God
So what the f**k
Do you not like the lamb?
The lamb
The Lamb of God
Where were you when I was the lamb?
The Lamb of God
What is up with you and the lamb?
The lamb
The Lamb of God
Listen to me the lamb
The lamb
The Lamb of God
What is the problem with you and the Lamb of God?
Check it
Now its time for you to be the lamb
The lamb
The Lamb of God
Unless you are scared to be the lamb
The lamb
The Lamb of God
I cannot find the lamb
The lamb
The Lamb of God
Did you hide the lamb?
The Lamb of God
The Lamb of God
The Lamb of God
The
Lamb
Of
God
What now mother f**ker
Lamb of God's song "Lamb of God" is a fierce and aggressive anthem that challenges the listener to confront their relationship with God and confront their fears. The lyrics "This is the lamb, this is the Lamb of God" are repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the importance of the Lamb of God in the Christian faith. The singer expresses frustration and confusion with those who do not understand or appreciate the significance of the lamb, asking "What is up with you and the lamb?" and "What is the problem with you and the Lamb of God?" This anger culminates in the challenging line, "Now it's time for you to be the lamb, unless you are scared to be the lamb."
Throughout the song, there is a sense of searching for the lamb, as the singer asks, "Where were you when I was the lamb?" and "Did you hide the lamb?" The repetition of the phrase "The Lamb of God" adds emphasis to its importance and encourages the listener to explore their own relationship with God and faith.
Overall, "Lamb of God" is a powerful and intense song that challenges the listener to confront their fears and explore their relationship with God. The repeated references to the importance of the lamb in the Christian faith emphasize its significance and encourage further reflection.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the lamb
Acknowledgement of the lamb's existence
This is the lamb
Reiteration of the existence of the lamb
This is the Lamb of God
Identification of the lamb as belonging to God
So what the f**k
Expression of confusion about others' opinions on the lamb
Do you not like the lamb?
Questioning why others do not appreciate the lamb
The lamb
Referencing the lamb again
The Lamb of God
Referencing the lamb's divine ownership again
Where were you when I was the lamb?
Questioning where others were during a difficult time when the singer felt like the weak lamb
What is up with you and the lamb?
Inquiring about others' misconceptions or aversions towards the lamb
Listen to me the lamb
Addressing the lamb directly
The lamb
Using the word the lamb again
The Lamb of God
Referring to the lamb as belonging to God
What is the problem with you and the Lamb of God?
Questioning why others have an issue with the Lamb of God
Check it
Commanding attention
Now its time for you to be the lamb
Challenging others to experience vulnerability as the lamb did
The lamb
Referencing the lamb once more
The Lamb of God
Using the full title for emphasis and reverence
Unless you are scared to be the lamb
Implying that fear may hold others back from taking the metaphorical position of the lamb
The lamb
Minor repetition of the phrase the lamb
The Lamb of God
Repeating the full title again
I cannot find the lamb
Possibly indicating that the connection to the lamb and God has been lost or misplaced
The lamb
Another repetition of the term the lamb
Did you hide the lamb?
Asking if someone intentionally concealed the lamb
The Lamb of God
Reemphasizing that the lamb is a divine possession
The Lamb of God
Final repetition of the word Lamb of God
The
Single word used in concert with other lines to form the full phrase 'The Lamb of God'
Lamb
Single word used in concert with other lines to form the full phrase 'The Lamb of God'
Of
Single word used in concert with other lines to form the full phrase 'The Lamb of God'
God
Single word used in concert with other lines to form the full phrase 'The Lamb of God'
What now mother f**ker
Expression challenging someone who may have an issue with the Lamb of God
Contributed by Arianna N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@danadkins5374
@Anonye Have you been born again? Just to clarify in case you aren't familiar, that's not just some term to describe a Christian. It's an actual event that happens to someone who comes to Christ fully and gives Him their life, all of it. The crucifixion was a trade, the perfect God comes down in flesh, 100% human, 100% God, lives a perfect life in our place without sin, hence the virgin birth. We inherit our sin nature from Adam, the Male line, not the Female line. He undergoes every temptation we experience yet doesn't sin. The penalty for ANY sin is death (separation from God, the source of life yet still eternally conscious) because God can't let sin into paradise, we would just corrupt that like we corrupted Earth. But being innocent AND infinite, dies in the place of anyone that would come to Him for forgiveness and then immediately gives them the Holy Spirit who revives their spirit that was dead because of Sin and God through the Holy Spirit LITERALLY makes your body His home and NEVER leaves you and gives you NOT ONLY the ABILITY to keep God's laws, but an unnending LOVE for them and an absolute HATRED for the sinful things you once loved, HE DOES ALL THE WORK. None of our works can get us to Heaven and rationally that makes the most sense because once something becomes imperfect, how can that thing then because perfect again? It's impossible. Like an old used up wine skin, the wineskin can't remove it's flaws, or the consequences of them, only the maker of the wineskin could repair it. And logically it had to be God to die in our place because anything that He created would be finite and therefore even if perfect, could only take the place of one other finite being. God on the other hand, being infinite, could take the punishment of EVERYONE that would choose HIS WAY over the enemy's way, because technically, if we are rejecting the TRUE God to go our own way, we are following in the footsteps of the original rebel and this deserve the same punishment, humanity in it's fallen state is proud though, I was, and unwilling to admit that I was wrong and deserved to be punished if God is TRULY JUST. I don't know why I just said all that lol. I'll leave you with 2 Scriptures about what being born again is. One is from the old testament, 400 years before Christ where God is telling the people what will be possible for mankind after Christ comes and the New Covenant that mankind will have access to after Christ does what He does. And the Other is from Jesus Himself ❤️👍🙂.
And this is EXACTLY what happens to a person who comes to Christ with their WHOLE HEART and makes that exchange,Your flaws and Sins and screwups for HIS forgiveness, exceptance and changed heart, it's incredible. All that works based man-made religion can do is make you feel like you can never measure up nomatter what you do, the truth is so much easier.
Ezekiel 36:25-37
"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My ordinances and do them. "
John 3:1-17
The New Birth
"Now there was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (member of the Sanhedrin) among the Jews, who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi (Teacher), we know [without any doubt] that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs [these wonders, these attesting miracles] that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the physical is merely physical], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be surprised that I have told you, ‘You must be born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be possible?” Jesus replied, “You are the [great and well-known] teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know nor understand these things [from Scripture]? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, we speak only of what we [absolutely] know and testify about what we have [actually] seen [as eyewitnesses]; and [still] you [reject our evidence and] do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things [that is, things that happen right here on earth] and you do not believe, how will you believe and trust Me if I tell you heavenly things? No one has gone up into heaven, but there is One who came down from heaven, the Son of Man [Himself—whose home is in heaven]. Just as Moses lifted up the [bronze] serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross], so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life [after physical death, and will actually live forever].
“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him."
John 14:1-6
"Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; so how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."
@VICTORIOS1991
LYRICS
[Intro]
By the darkest river
Beneath the leafless trees
I think I'm drowning
This dream is killing me
(Wake up, wake up, wake up)
In the coldest winter
Between the fading lights
I feel I'm falling into a frozen sky
(Wake up, wake up, wake up)
Past the blackest heaven
Above the dying stars
I watch me breaking into a million shards
(Wake up, wake up, wake up)
But through the hardest hour
Below the cruelest sign
I know I'm waking up from this wretched lie
(Wake up, wake up)
Wake up
[Verse 1]
A depression fed by overload
False perceptions, the weight of the world
A universe in the palm of your hand
The artifice of endless strands
[Pre-Chorus]
Distraction flows down an obsessive stream
Rejection grows into oppressive screams
[Chorus]
The hardest hour, the cruelest sign
I'm waking up from this wretched lie
I fight it the same, don't waste this day
Wake up, wake up, wake up
Memento mori
[Verse 2]
The regression of advancing modes
And imperial corrosive nodes
A prime directive to disconnect
Reclaim yourself and resurrect
[Pre-Chorus]
Distraction flows down an obsessive stream
Rejection grows into oppressive screams
[Chorus]
The hardest hour, the cruelest sign
I'm waking up from this wretched lie
I fight it the same, don't waste this day
Wake up, wake up, wake up
Memento mori
[Bridge]
There's too many choices
And I hear their relentless voices
But you've gotta run them out
Return to now and shut it down
Shut it down
A depression fed by overload
False perceptions, the weight of the world
Because there's too many choices
Gotta kill their relentless voices
(Wake up, wake up)
I know I'm waking up from this wretched lie
[Chorus]
The hardest hour, the cruelest sign
I'm waking up from this wretched lie
I fight it the same, don't waste this day
Wake up, wake up, wake up
Wake up, wake up, wake up
Memento mori
Memento mori
@sr71sr71
Aggressively telling you to go out and be with the world and fight depression! I love it!!!
@ShawnJonesHellion
Looked to me like it was telling you what's outside the door. Specially considering when this was released an the whole planet fell under obvious mind control. An i got in my car an took off. An it felt nothing short of this that year cept they weren't looking like cool demons. They ere wearing human outfits
@Woadie757
@Shawn Jones Proper grammar goes so far, Shawn.
@Sinister6scorpion
@filthg18 literally who cares.
@Woadie757
@Dani scozz Nice one
@Sinister6scorpion
@Filth G how about not being a dick? What does it matter. So yeah "NiCe OnE" fucking paperclip of a human.
@zandavanrooyen5388
I remember when i was a teen and wanted to listen to these guys so badly, so i told my mom they're a christian metal band and she actually believed me
@treyz3366
you write christian metal. I read cristal meth. fuck breaking bad
@DropShotPat
Try that one with Cannibal Corpse, much respect to the hustle.
@lafrog3505
I mean they are Christian