Chuck Schuldiner Project

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Burn The Priest/Lamb Of God - Legion: XX



Y'know - most cover records just feel like cash grabs or an attempt to go 'back to the roots' that feels misguided and silly. Yet every once in a while you find one that isn't just badass but also straight up fun. Such is the case with Lamb Of God, ahem, Burn The Priest and their offering Legion: XX. Sure it can be a little bit silly and definitely is a step in a different direction for the groove metal legends but it's hard not to love what the band has done here. This is the sort of kind of silly and strangely poignant metal ya gotta love.

What is perhaps most impressive about this record is that rather than coming off as "Lamb Of God plays covers in the style of Lamb Of God" or "Lamb of God does kinda shitty knock offs of punk classics" the two directions these sorts of releases tend to go, it sits somewhere in the middle and that makes it great. The band perfectly encapsulates the vibes of each and every group they are paying homage too even when this pushes them in radically different directions. That's a huge part of the appeal - you can feel Burn The Priest stretching. Simultaneously though they bring a sense of polish and execution that many of the originals lacked. They breathe new life into tracks like Kerosene and I can't help but to love it.

So yes, this is the sort of infectious back to the roots offering that Burn The Priest needed to create a name for themselves. The sheer punk rock 'fuck you'-ness of Legion: XX only adds to the magic and creates something that you can't help but to spin time and time again. My personal standout is the bands cover of Kill Yourself by SOD, capturing the hardcore punk magic of the original and adding some of Randy's trademark death growls. This is a set of ten covers executed with verve and panache that belies the groups years of experience. Dig it.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/lambofgod

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