On the strength of their tenth full length album Info Oblivion, Lamb of God presided over a capacity Youtube Theater in Inglewood, CA for the Los Angeles stop of their North American headlining trek. Billed atop a varied ensemble cast of heavy, the Richmond OGs lead the charge with the likes of Kublai Khan TX, Fit For An Autopsy and Sanguisugabogg rounding out one of the most anticipated live bills on the year.
For Lamb of God, the evening afforded a unique occasion - underscoring not only the band's continued longevity given their more than three decade tenure, but also, a powerful reemphasis of their relevance maybe now more than ever. That hard-earned combination of classic and contemporary played out as the band tore into catalog essentials like "Ruin" and "Laid to Rest" only to follow with the title track with "Into Oblivion," delivering consistent effectiveness among their most ardent, passionate fans.
What rang apparent as the band dominated the room - Lamb of God has been sharpening their steel with observant social commentary and reason-based rebellion for years. Before detonating the theater with "Blood Junkie" from 2003's As the Palaces Burn, frontman Randy Blythe prefaced the track by reiterating that the song was just as pertinent now as it was a generation ago when he first penned it. Blythe unapologetically emphasized, "No more war for oil motherfuckers!" before electrifying the room.
In addition to the band's social critique and pragmatic sensibility that drives their message, Lamb of God's vital role in heavy music is now one of statesmen - the leaders by example that are now nurturing the next generation in ways they may not even consider. Midway through the set, the band heaved praise on the trio of bands that comprised the current tour, speaking highly of their tourmates in ways that went beyond pleasantries and resonated as a sort of cosign. Blythe would then go onto dedicate the ageless anthem, "Walk with Me In Hell" not only to the bands on run, but to their friend Bo Lueders of Harms Way and the Hardlore podcast.
News of his tragic passing hit the wire just two days prior.
The moment was especially poignant with a raucous theater yelling back at Blythe, "You're Never Alone!"
The second half of the set was a fluid show of force, one that utilized essentials like "11th Hour" and "Omerta" with newer weapons in the arsenal like "Memento Mori" from the self-titled album along with "Parasocial Christ" and "Sepsis". The ability to pair entires so engrained into heavy culture with their newest works so cohesively only serves to highlight not only the band's endurance, but their evolving role as leaders among the community.
At the very core of Lamb of God's raw power is their very real sense of purpose - one that combines skilled craftsmanship with sound reasoning and an unwavering sense of rebellion. The ability to continue to produce such confrontational music with true conviction is what makes the songs so sturdy, so succinct and so vital during the darkest of times. The band's fearlessness to stare into oblivion and find something worth fighting for is what makes Lamb of God true champions of heavy culture - Saturday night in Inglewood proved that.
See images from the Into Oblivion tour from Maurice Nunez and Steve Rose below.
LAMB OF GOD
photos by Steve Rose
Photos by Maurice Nunez
KUBLAI KHAN TX
Photos by Maurice Nunez
FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY
Photos by Steve Rose
SANGUISUGABOGG
