In the metal community, Lamb of God are about as revered as they come. Combining super-tight guitar work with shifting drum patterns and guttural vocals, the Virginia-based quintet have been making a seismic dent into the world of heavy metal since 1994 under the moniker of Burn the Priest until 1999.
Releasing their new single Checkmate in early February ahead of their upcoming self-titled and tenth studio album (eighth under the Lamb of God banner), the band once again instated themselves as one of the genre's most prolific driving forces.
In this exclusive studio playthrough, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler tear through the track, showcasing their enviable synergy and dominating their respective fretboards to deliver some of the most masterful riffs they've ever conceived, wielding a Jackson Dominion signature model and an ESP Eclipse, respectively, to do so.
"Checkmate had gone through the ringer," reveals Adler. "It lived as a demo for quite a while before it was brought up with the full band. It wasn't until pre-production that the song really came alive, however. Being the first song we decided to dive into during pre-pro, Checkmate was subject to the brunt of the Lamb microscope.
"Honestly, though, once we all wrapped our heads around it, and started vibing on it, the song flowed out incredibly naturally. The coolest thing about Checkmate, to me at least, is that it's one of the few Lamb of God tunes to retain its working title as its official title."
Lamb of God is available now for pre-order via Nuclear Blast Records.
