News: Lamb Of God Release First New Music In Five Years, ‘Checkmate’

Mark Bestford·
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Lamb Of God Release First New Music In Five Years, ‘Checkmate’
Single Is From Upcoming Self-titled Album, Due Out May 8 Via Nuclear Blast
UK Headline Tour In April
Watch The Video For ‘Checkmate’ Now Via LAMB-OF-GOD.COM
Pre-OrderΒ HERE

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LAMB OF GOD have revealed a brand new single and video, ‘Checkmate’, from the band’s first release in five years and the first to feature new drummer Art Cruz. The self-titled new album ‘Lamb Of God‘ is due out May 8 via Nuclear Blast.

Watch ‘Checkmate’Β nowΒ at:Β https://www.lamb-of-god.com/.

β€œβ€˜Checkmate’ brings together all the components of the LAMB OF GOD sound that we’ve been developing over the last two decades, but with the ambition and ferocity that comes with the start of a new chapter for our band,” says guitarist Mark Morton. β€œRe-energised and reignited, this is LAMB OF GOD 2020. We’ve never been more excited.”

The fact that the band’s eighth studio effort would warrant β€˜self-titled’ status is a testament to the band’s pride and satisfaction with these songs and this period in their creativity.

It is also a testament to the band’s long career – which includes two gold albums, two platinum DVDs, and five Grammy nominations – and a bold statement about where the quintet is now.

β€œPutting only our name on it is a statement,” vocalist D. Randall Blythe says.Β β€œThis isΒ LAMB OF GOD. Here and now.”

A true collaboration between all members of the band,Β LAMB OF GOD’s eighth studio album is an amalgam of each individual’s contributions, blended to create a singular style. Guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler fuel the album with a mountain of riffs, taking what LAMB OF GOD are known for, and unbelievably, upping the ante to new levels. The rhythm section of John Campbell, looming large as a rhythmic shadow, and drummer Art Cruz, who makes his studio debut withΒ LAMB OF GODΒ here on this record, underpin the proceedings with passion, sweat, and expansive dynamics. Vocalist D. Randall Blythe is as angry, insightful, and informed as ever. Never one to shrink from facing the darker aspects of our nature head-on, Blythe delivers with no punches pulled, and as only he and LAMB OF GOD can in 2020.

In the midst of writing the 10 songs that appear onΒ ‘Lamb Of God’, the group hit pause on the works-in-progress to man the stage as special guests forΒ Slayer’s β€œThe Final Campaign” tour. After months of playing their best-known songs nightly,Β LAMB OF GODΒ returned to the new tracks and began to work with longtime producer Josh Wilbur (Korn, Megadeth, Gojira, Trivium). Special guests Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed) and Chuck Billy (Testament) also make appearances onΒ ‘Lamb Of God’.

‘Lamb Of God’Β pre-orders are available here, as well as at Apple Music, andΒ Amazon for CD and vinyl. Fans can snap up vinyl in black, limited edition yellow, or limited edition red. Box set pre-orders are to come.

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‘Lamb Of God’ tracklisting:

  1. Memento Mori
  2. Checkmate
  3. Gears
  4. Reality Bath
  5. New Colossal Hate
  6. Resurrection Man
  7. Poison Dream (feat. Jamey Jasta)
  8. Routes (feat. Chuck Billy)
  9. Bloodshot Eyes
  10. On The Hook

LAMB OF GOD return to the UK for a headline tour in April 2020.Β Joining them as special guests will be labelmates, German thrash classics Kreator, with Texan thrash squad Power Trip opening proceedings each night. The β€˜State Of Unrest’ dates mark the first chance for fans to attend a LAMB OF GOD headline tour of the UK since January 2014, with interim incendiary performances as co-headliner with Megadeth (2015), as special guests with Slayer (2018), and at festivals. Tickets are on sale now from https://www.livenation.co.uk/artist/lamb-of-god-tickets and all good box offices.

Dates are as follows:
Tue 21st Apr – BRISTOL O2 Academy
Wed 22nd Apr – MANCHESTER Academy
Thu 23rd Apr – GLASGOW O2 Academy
Fri 24th Apr – BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy
Sat 25th Apr – LONDON O2 Academy Brixton

The Richmond, Virginia, quintet propelled heavy metal into the new millennium two decades ago with the prophetically titledΒ ‘New American Gospel’. They followed with 2003’sΒ ‘As The Palaces Burn’, which made the Rolling Stone list of the Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.Β ‘Ashes Of The Wake’, released in 2004, was the firstΒ LAMB OF GOLDΒ album to be certified gold by the RIAA, as was 2006’sΒ ‘Sacrament’, which also made a Top 10 Billboard 200 chart debut. In 2009,Β LAMB OF GODΒ releasedΒ ‘Wrath’, their first with Wilbur at producer, and earned the #1 album spot on Billboard’s Hard Rock, Rock, and Tastemaker charts, with a #2 position on the Billboard 200, and in the UK, #1 on the rock chart and #25 in the main album chart

Those #1 positions were repeated with 2012’sΒ ‘Resolution’, which swung effortlessly between thrash, traditional metal, sludgy doom, with flashes of crust punk swagger and bravado, and saw the band break into the UK’s Top 20 for the first time, landing at #19 (#1 again in the rock chart).Β LAMB OF GOD’s last album,Β ‘VII: Sturm und Drang’Β (2015) made its debut on the Billboard 200 at #3 and blasted straight into the UK’s Top 10 at #7, finishing #2 in the world charts, reaching Top 5 in five countries and six additional Top 15 positions.

In 2020,Β LAMB OF GODΒ are re-energised and unrelenting, ready to lay claim to the metal throne.

LAMB OF GOD are:
Randall Blythe – Vocals
Mark Morton – Guitar
Willie Adler – Guitar
John Campbell – Bass
Art Cruz – Drums

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