| Written by Alex Stojanovic TRACK LISTING Into Oblivion Parasocial Christ Sepsis The Killing Floor El Vacio St. Catherine's Wheel Blunt Force Blues Bully A Thousand Years Devise / Destroy Release Date: March 13, 2026 Label: Epic Records Website: lamb-of-god.com facebook.com/lambofgod instagram.com/lambofgod |  |
It's still crazy to think that we've reached the point where many of the New Wave Of American Metal bands who broke in the 2000s are now 20-25 years into their careers, earning them the "legend" status now. I remember first discovering bands like Trivium, Unearth, All That Remains, Shadows Fall and the focus of this review: Lamb Of God, and so on around 2006-2007, when I was just 14-15 years old, and when many of those bands were still just emerging, and they're all now 20+ years into their career. Lamb Of God are definitely one of the oldest of the bunch, having released New American Gospel in 2000, and also their self-titled Burn The Priest record in 1999. Arriving successfully at album #10 with Into Oblivion, the Virginia legends are as pissed off and confused at the world as they've ever been, just like we all are.
The rage about the state of the world is taken out in pure Lamb Of God fashion on the vicious opening title track, and according to Mark Morton, he took a lot of inspiration from Swedish bands when writing riffs for this record. He and Willie Adler showcase their riffs prowess and create bludgeoning grooves and those signature breakdowns that are packed with swagger and blood. The vibes of the old days are on strong display on "Parasocial Christ", which is one of the very few times on the record that we get a tasty Mark Morton solo, and "Sepsis", which brings a sludgy groove that pounds like a sledgehammer, and leads into a frenetic bridge with rapid-fire riffs reminiscent of Wrath.
Randy Blythe has never been one to shy away from showcasing his true feelings towards things, whether it's in his lyrics or social media posts. He is a man of high intelligence and always educates while pulverizing you at the same time with his menacing signature growl. His intelligence is all over the record, but "St. Catherine's Wheel" is a prime example of it where the lyrics use the Catherine Wheel torture device as a metaphor for an intense period of psychological and emotional torture, whereas "The Killing Floor" is a perfect analogy for the breakdown of the social contract going on in America at the moment.
Back in the mid-2010s, when the band released tracks like "Overlord" and "The Duke", I was honestly hoping we'd get more tracks where Randy brings out his clean voice more often, and on here, we get "El Vacio", a haunting crooner that even brings some Tool vibes, but still containing the growls in the chorus. Cleans also make their presence known in "A Thousand Years", along with cowbell and even giving John Campbell an opportunity to shine on the bass. All this shows that Lamb Of God are not afraid at this point to continue expanding their sound. The band pay homage to their Richmond, Virginia roots on "Blunt Force Blues" by looking back and celebrating their early years playing in basements at house parties and watching local bands before they hit the big time; a terrific reminder to all those who make it, to always remember and be grateful for where you came from.
In the drum department, people are obviously still going to compare Art Cruz with Chris Adler, but it's gotten to the point now where he has fully established himself as a vital part of Lamb Of God with his third album with the band under his belt, and it's time for the comparisons to stop. With 2026 marking 20 years since the release of Sacrament, Lamb Of God continue their reign as one of the leaders of the New Wave Of American Metal, with Into Oblivion being their angriest album in a long time. It's guaranteed to make die-hard fans really happy, and piss off the detractors as always.
The rage about the state of the world is taken out in pure Lamb Of God fashion on the vicious opening title track, and according to Mark Morton, he took a lot of inspiration from Swedish bands when writing riffs for this record. He and Willie Adler showcase their riffs prowess and create bludgeoning grooves and those signature breakdowns that are packed with swagger and blood. The vibes of the old days are on strong display on "Parasocial Christ", which is one of the very few times on the record that we get a tasty Mark Morton solo, and "Sepsis", which brings a sludgy groove that pounds like a sledgehammer, and leads into a frenetic bridge with rapid-fire riffs reminiscent of Wrath.
Randy Blythe has never been one to shy away from showcasing his true feelings towards things, whether it's in his lyrics or social media posts. He is a man of high intelligence and always educates while pulverizing you at the same time with his menacing signature growl. His intelligence is all over the record, but "St. Catherine's Wheel" is a prime example of it where the lyrics use the Catherine Wheel torture device as a metaphor for an intense period of psychological and emotional torture, whereas "The Killing Floor" is a perfect analogy for the breakdown of the social contract going on in America at the moment.
Back in the mid-2010s, when the band released tracks like "Overlord" and "The Duke", I was honestly hoping we'd get more tracks where Randy brings out his clean voice more often, and on here, we get "El Vacio", a haunting crooner that even brings some Tool vibes, but still containing the growls in the chorus. Cleans also make their presence known in "A Thousand Years", along with cowbell and even giving John Campbell an opportunity to shine on the bass. All this shows that Lamb Of God are not afraid at this point to continue expanding their sound. The band pay homage to their Richmond, Virginia roots on "Blunt Force Blues" by looking back and celebrating their early years playing in basements at house parties and watching local bands before they hit the big time; a terrific reminder to all those who make it, to always remember and be grateful for where you came from.
In the drum department, people are obviously still going to compare Art Cruz with Chris Adler, but it's gotten to the point now where he has fully established himself as a vital part of Lamb Of God with his third album with the band under his belt, and it's time for the comparisons to stop. With 2026 marking 20 years since the release of Sacrament, Lamb Of God continue their reign as one of the leaders of the New Wave Of American Metal, with Into Oblivion being their angriest album in a long time. It's guaranteed to make die-hard fans really happy, and piss off the detractors as always.
FINAL RATING
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