Arguably the band that’s leading the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, Lamb of God does something that most of their peers don’t; they stick to what they know. Lamb of God has built a career out of monstrous riffs, technical drumming and intense vocals, a formula that isn’t tampered with in the band’s latest album entitled “Sacrament.” If it’s not broke, don’t fix it, a philosophy that Lamb of God adopts in every aspect of their music. The so called “changes” that the band said they had for the new album aren’t very radical. There’s more atmospheric vocals displayed in songs like “Again We Rise,” and the overall guitar sound is probably not as complex as their previous effort “Ashes of the Wake.” Of course this doesn’t mean that the band has lost any intensity, there are more solos and guitar leads that make them remain a very aggressive band. The most noticeable change is the lyrics, as there are no political songs in this album. Front man Randy Blythe seems to be dealing with inner demons and more personal problems, creating a deeper connection with the listener.

The highlight of the album comes in the form of “Redneck,” a Pantera-like song that is sleazy, with a powerful groove, an extremely catchy chorus (“This is a motherfucking invitation”) and a great vocal performance by Blythe. Other strong cuts are “Walk with Me in Hell” with its great vocal passages, “Descending,” the darkest and most ominous track of the entire album; and later the one-two punch of “Forgotten (Lost Angels)” and “Requiem.”

Most of the songs are played at mid-tempo, but there are moments of blazing speed like “Foot to the Throat” and album closer “Beating on Death’ Door.” The latter of which shows the band playing on all cylinders with a killer drum fill around the 2:34 mark. Drummer Chris Adler is definitely the man of the hour. Although he’s not the fastest double-bass drummer, the intricacies and grooves the he plays bring the band to a higher level.

“Sacrament” is an album that should please most Lamb of God fans and also bring in some new ones to their congregation. This album is the perfect example of a band that sticks to its guns and doesn’t fool around with their music. With “Sacrament,” Lamb of God has become a band that will not rest until they are heard by everyone and certainly don’t fail in grabbing people’s attention.