Heavy music is full of legendary bands boasting deep catalogs stacked with iconic songs — sometimes it can be hard to know where to start, or what to consider their best. With that in mind, we present the “Mandatory Metal” lists, which collect what we consider to be the definitive tracks from various members of the metallurgic pantheon. Up today, Lamb of God, Virginia’s finest heavy-metal rabble-rousers who have been delivering unstoppable burners since the Nineties. The hard-hitting crew just dropped a 15th anniversary reissue of their 2004 major label debut Ashes of the Wake, so we’re highlighting some choice cuts from that album and elsewhere in their catalog. If you disagree, sound off on The Pit Facebook page.
“LAID TO REST”
ALBUM: ASHES OF THE WAKE
There’s no escaping Lamb of God’s groovy, apocalyptic crusher, and it still goes hard as hell nearly 15 later.
Sample lyrics: “I’ll make all your dreams come to life/Then slay them as quickly as they came.”
“OMERTA”
ALBUM: ASHES OF THE WAKE
If you’re going to have a song basically be one breakdown, it better rule, and this one absolutely kills.
Sample lyrics: “Free speech for the living, dead men tell no tales/Your laughing finger will never point again.”
“BLACKEN THE CURSED SUN”
ALBUM: SACRAMENT
A perfect model in how to make a kickass groove-metal track while also packing some of their most darkest lyrics to date.
Sample lyrics: “Seize the darkened day, there’s only Hell to pay/And no one left to see this prodigal return.”
“IN YOUR WORDS”
ALBUM: WRATH
Play that intro, and try not to headbang to its propulsive riff. We’ll wait.
Sample lyrics: “Indict the blameless/Transparent designs/Pathetic and shameless/Crucified.”
“GHOST WALKING”
ALBUM: RESOLUTION
This song manages to weave in acoustic guitars, balls-to-the-walls solos and a multitude of gnarly riffs for one of the band’s strongest cuts.
Sample lyrics: “21 to 1 I’m liking the odds/A blood junkie with a lightning rod/A dirty rig and a heavenly nod/And still you wind up nowhere.”
