Lamb of God

Originally known by the less-than-subtle moniker Burn the Priest, Richmond, VA-based Lamb of God decided to change their name shortly after the release of a self-titled debut in 1998. Featuring vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Will Adler, bassist John Campbell, and drummer Chris Adler, the newly rechristened Lamb of God was launched in the year 2000 with their acclaimed New American Gospel album. The group then embarked on a lengthy touring spree, spending much of the next two years preaching their "pure American death metal" at major heavy metal festivals and small clubs alike. Work on a follow-up effort with producer and Strapping Young Lad mastermind Devin Townsend took place in between these many road jaunts, so that Lamb of God's sophomore LP, As the Palaces Burn, was released in summer 2003. Ashes of the Wake quickly followed it in 2004. Produced by Machine, it featured the most fully realized material of the band's career. Ashes was both a chart and critical hit and set up a year's worth of successful touring for Lamb of God. Epic also reissued Burn the Priest, their 1998 debut from their original band. The Killadelphia DVD appeared in 2005, documenting a particularly fierce stretch of shows in Philly, and the same program's audio edition dropped toward the end of the same year. 2006 saw the release of Sacrament.