Lamb of God

The latest release from Richmond, VA's Lamb of God, fittingly dubbed Hourglass, is a compilation that celebrates the 15th anniversary of the "pure American metal" outfit. Released in several different formats, the three-CD anthology features a total of 44 tracks. Volume One: The Underground Years contains tunes from the band's early days, gathered from their first album, Burn the Priest, including the volatile "Bloodletting," and from their debut as Lamb of God, New American Gospel. This first disc also includes tracks from what is arguably the band's best release to date, As the Palaces Burn, with "11th Hour" remaining one of the most powerful, groove-driven songs of their career, thanks to riff master Mark Morton. Volume Two: The Epic Years is comprised of tunes from LoG's three most recent albums on Epic Records, including Ashes of the Wake's political anthem "Laid to Rest," as well as tracks from the mediocre Sacrament and from their slightly disappointing latest album, Wrath. Lastly, Volume Three: The Vault features rare and previously unreleased material, including Japanese-issued bonus tracks, rehearsal demos and self-released tracks recorded prior to Burn the Priest. While the first two volumes consist of a well-arranged collection of fan favourites from LoG's various releases, it's Volume Three that makes Hourglass worthwhile. This third disc mixes raw rehearsal demo versions of the band's more popular tracks like "Now You've Got Something to Die For" with some impressive, never-before-heard material. "Ruiner," which is the hidden track on the original 1999 version of Burn the Priest, is found here, revived from its seven-inch vinyl release. Also present is rare gem "Ballad of Kansas City," from the seven-inch as well, which never appeared on any of their later releases. Hourglass is definitely the ultimate LoG collection for serious fans and Volume Three makes it worth the purchase just for those few tracks that have previously gone unnoticed.