Album Review: Lamb Of God - 'As The Palaces Burn (DVD)'

With almost 20 years under their belt, coming from a red-neck town in Virginia with a passion for heavy metal and some musical talent Lamb Of God have gone from playing little bars and opening for big acts to being worldwide headliners. These guys have faced their fair share of demons, namely Randy Blythe's semi-recent court case. In new DVD, ‘As The Palaces Burn, they explore this: their past, their home and tour lives and how metal brings people together.

The start of the DVD really works at depicting the everyday lives of the band, from Randy Blythe in his home town talking about hanging out by the river as a teen to guitarist Mark Morton playing ball with his young daughter and barbecuing to warm the heart.

How metal brings people together and changes peoples lives is a real focal point for this DVD with lots of crowd shots and a few profiles such as a Columbian taxi driver who plays heavy metal in his taxi and looks to metal, and Lamb Of God, as a symbol of hope.

The first half hour or so highlights and shows us the band's background and gives some perspective from their peers including commentary from Slash and Gwar. It shows the rise and dedication of a band worthy of respect.

Moreover, the DVD takes on a more serious note around half an hour in as Blythe is taken into custody by officials in the Czech Republic for manslaughter charges in the event of an alleged death of a fan at a show in Prague. The DVD shows ‘behind-the-scenes’ footage of the dealings with the charges from their legal team, actual footage of the trial and also the emotions of the band, which were, understandably, kept under wraps.

The DVD shows the impact of the trial on Blythe and on his home life as well as giving the viewer an insight into some of his time spent behind bars. Of course we know that the case was thankfully and justifiably resolved but this DVD offers a gripping glimpse into the music scene, the band’s lives and previously unknown details and emotional experiences that came along with Blythe's trial.

'As The Palaces Burn' is a gripping documentary right until the end that emphasises how metal brings people together. From heartwarming family moments and fan profiles to the intriguing details of manslaughter charges, this DVD reveals the formalities as well as all the emotions that come along with these legal issues, the touring life of a professional band and time spent at home.

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