Mark Morton's credentials are beyond reproach at this point. As the lead guitarist for Lamb of God, he's spent the better part of the last two decades melting faces with unique sound and tone. Now Morton has whipped off one of the best metal supergroup albums in recent memory. Buckle up, Lamb of God fans. This is one record you shouldn't miss.
It would be easy to call Anesthetic a collection of Lamb of God B-sides with 'X' famous person on vocals, but that would miss the real collaborative efforts taking place. Virtually every track features new faces, all of them cream-of-the-crop material — members of Korn, Alice in Chains, the Black Crowes, Clutch and Megadeth. They all swirl around Mark Morton's guitar though, which sounds just as savage as it did on Ashes of the Wake.
This wouldn't mean much if the songs were no good. Rest assured, when Morton joins forces with Jacoby Shaddix on "Sworn Apart" or Chuck Billy on "The Never," the results would cause any metalhead to dive shirtless into the mosh pit. Morton is also not afraid to push his boundaries on "Axis," a bluesy grunge number with Screaming Trees mastermind Mark Lanegan that sounds like it belongs on a long-lost Sub Pop mixtape.
Still, nothing will prepare listeners for "Cross Off." Featuring what might be the last recorded vocal performance of Chester Bennington, it's the Linkin Park/Lamb of God mashup we didn't know we wanted. It's a glorious glimpse of what might have been. As it stands, Mark Morton's first solo effort is wildly successful. Every metalhead should be listening to this one already.
(Spinefarm)It would be easy to call Anesthetic a collection of Lamb of God B-sides with 'X' famous person on vocals, but that would miss the real collaborative efforts taking place. Virtually every track features new faces, all of them cream-of-the-crop material — members of Korn, Alice in Chains, the Black Crowes, Clutch and Megadeth. They all swirl around Mark Morton's guitar though, which sounds just as savage as it did on Ashes of the Wake.
This wouldn't mean much if the songs were no good. Rest assured, when Morton joins forces with Jacoby Shaddix on "Sworn Apart" or Chuck Billy on "The Never," the results would cause any metalhead to dive shirtless into the mosh pit. Morton is also not afraid to push his boundaries on "Axis," a bluesy grunge number with Screaming Trees mastermind Mark Lanegan that sounds like it belongs on a long-lost Sub Pop mixtape.
Still, nothing will prepare listeners for "Cross Off." Featuring what might be the last recorded vocal performance of Chester Bennington, it's the Linkin Park/Lamb of God mashup we didn't know we wanted. It's a glorious glimpse of what might have been. As it stands, Mark Morton's first solo effort is wildly successful. Every metalhead should be listening to this one already.
