Lamb of God

Astoundingly enough, the brutally heavy metal of Lamb of God has found a home on a fancy major label and this DVD is their introduction to the frenzy of the big leagues. I'm still not sure if the reason for the video for "11th Hour" not being on here is a joke or not (the band cite the government and CNN as holding them back; ok, it's a joke, so why isn't it included?), but minor annoyances aside, this is a fun disc. The highlight is the excellent video clip for the incredible "Ruin." Talk about an anthem for the new breed of metal, with some great visual concepts to boot. The video for "Black Label" isn't as cool but it is still a good view and the handful of live songs prove that the band is just as competent on stage as they are in the studio. The "main" part of this DVD is a 20-minute documentary of sorts on the band, which has some cool interviews and some mandatory "crazy" life on the road footage (man, bands got to stop making us watch this; I don't make them watch my home videos!). But a warning: the live footage in this section is the same as the footage in the extras section, making this already scant DVD even shorter. But hey, it's well worth a handful of dollars for the footage of the band, because watching them pull this stuff off live is even better than listening to their albums. If not for the fact that all their songs sound damn near identical, I'd be praising Lamb of God all day long. For now, I'll stick to the part-time praise and anxiously await their next release. Plus: band commentary, more. (Sony/Epic)