Despite producing a succession of consistently powerful and invigorating albums over the past decade or so, Lamb Of God have never quite produced a stone cold classic to cement their reputation as greats of the modern age.
Joyously, Resolution is precisely that: as brutal and uncompromising as anything in their catalogue, it is simply stronger on every level than all previous efforts, while exhibiting a bravery and diversity that belies the unerring focus of their instantly recognisable sound.
From the pitiless doom of opener Straight For The Sun and the fist-flurry turbo-thrash of Desolation to the raging, hardcore punk of Cheated and the bellicose, southern-fried melee of To The End, this is a masterclass in precise brutality, razor-sharp hooks and imperious bluster.
It ends with the rugged orchestral pomp of King Me, an epic and startling indication that this band are evolving into something quite extraordinary.
