Home / Album Reviews / Single review: Lamb of God – Checkmate

Single review: Lamb of God – Checkmate

Lamb of God has released a brand new single “Checkmate” which will be featured on their self-titled album. This is their first release in 5 years and is due out on May 8.

With quite political lyrics and the line “Make America hate again” that really catches the attention, they aggressively presented personal views on modern world events that are the result of political activity.

Instrumentally, the song gives us sort of familiar heavy sound with the addition of a new drummer Art Cruz. Everything is very well put together and it just shows how despite some changes, the whole band has the same old energy. In 2020, Lamb of God is re-energized and unrelenting, ready to lay claim to the metal throne.

“Checkmate” was a safe choice for the introduction of the new album. It gives us a bit of taste of what we can expect on the rest of the tracks since the band announced it’s gonna get even more political.

Check out the official video down below:

The 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 the band is 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 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 ten songs that appear on Lamb Of God, the group hit pause on the works-in-progress to man the stage as main support Slayer’s “The Final Campaign.” After months of playing their best-known songs nightly, Lamb of God 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 on Lamb Of God.

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 tour dates:

European tour with Kreator and Power Trip:

3/27 – Stockholm, SE @ Fryshuset Arenan
3/28 – Copenhagen, DK @ Forum Black Box
3/30 – Oulu, FI @ Club Teatria
3/31 – Helsinki, FI @ Ice Hall Black Box
4/2 – Kraków, PO @ Tauron Arena
4/3 – Berlin, DE @ Columbiahalle
4/4 – Oberhausen, DE @ Turbinenhalle
4/5 – Wiesbaden, DE @ Kulturzentrum Schlachthof
4/7 – Zurich, CH @ Samsung Hall
4/8 – Munich, DE @ Zenith
4/9 – Ludwigsburg, DE @ MHP Arena
4/11 – Hamburg, DE @ Sporthalle
4/14 – Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz
4/15 – Madrid, ES @ Sala Riviera
4/17 – Paris, FR @ L’Olympia Bruno Coquatrix
4/18 – Saarbrücken, DE @ Saarlandhalle
4/19 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
4/21 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy Bristol
4/22 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy
4/23 – Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy Glasgow
4/24 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy Birmingham
4/25 – London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton

Megadeth and LAMB OF GOD NORTH AMERICAN tour dates:

Summer 2020:

6/12 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live

6/13 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion

6/14 – Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater

6/16 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater

6/17 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

6/18 – Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavillon

6/20 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center

6/21 – Boston, MA @ Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion

6/23 – Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Heath Amphitheater at Lakeview

6/24 – Providence, RI @ Bold Point Lake Amphitheater

6/26 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater

6/28 – Burgettstown, PA @ S&T Bank Music Park

6/29 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage

7/1 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theater

7/2 – Mount Pleasant, MI @ Soaring Eagle Casino Amphitheatre

7/3 – Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Music Center

7/5 – Atlanta, GA @ Ameris Music Center

7/7 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion

7/8 – Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica

7/10 – Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago, IL

7/11 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis, MO

7/12 – Nashville, TN @ Nashville Municipal Auditorium

7/14 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP*

7/16 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater

7/17 – Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

7/18 – Irving, TX @The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

7/20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater

7/21- Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Federal Theatre

7/23 – Irvine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre

7/25 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre

7/26 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center

7/29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre

7/30 – Pocatello, ID @ Portneuf Health Trust Amphitheatre

8/1 – Concord, CA @ Concord Pavilion

Fall 2020:

10/2 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

10/6 – Birmingham, AL @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre

10/7 – New Orleans, LA @ UNO Lakefront Arena

10/9 – Corpus Christi, TX @ American Bank Center Arena

10/11 – El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center

10/14 – Springfield, MO @ JQH Arena

10/16 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center

10/21 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center

10/23 – Huntington, WV @ Mountain Heath Arena

10/24 – Bethlehem, PA @ The Wind Creek Event Center

10/27 – Quebec City, QC @ Centre Videotron

10/28 – Laval, QC @ Place Bell

10/30 – St. Paul, MN @ Armory

10/31 – Green Bay, WI @ Resch Center

11/2 – Omaha, NE @ Baxter Arena

11/3 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

11/5 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center

11/7 – Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay Events Center

11/10 – Spokane, WA @ Spokane Arena

11/11 – Nampa, ID @ Ford Idaho Center Arena

11/13 – Reno, NV @ Reno Events Center

WebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagram

About Jelena Jelisavcic

Check Also

All About The TNR

IK is 28-years old, a reggae, hip-hop artist, producer motivational speaker and songwriter from America. …