VII: Sturm und Drang

Last updated

There was a guillotine right down the hall from me, from when the Nazis had the prison. From 1943 to 1945 they executed almost 2,000 people by the guillotine, because it was cheaper than shooting and quicker than hanging... They call it the Pankrác 'Saw Room' or the 'Axe Room'. I sat there at night, and I'd think about all those dudes that got their heads chopped off – men and women – in that place not too far from me.

— Randy Blythe talking about the inspiration behind "Still Echoes". [9]

Inspiration for lyrics

"Still Echoes", VII's first single, draws inspiration from the history of Pankrác Prison, where Blythe was held on manslaughter charges. Reciting the first lyric from "Still Echoes", Blythe asserts that there was real inspiration for the lyrics even though the words "might read like graphic metal imagery". Blythe said that he sought out information about the prison's history from guards and fellow inmates while he was incarcerated.

Blythe wrote the lyrics to the song "512", the album's second single, in Pankrác Prison cell number 512, while he was contemplating how the experience was changing him. According to Blythe, most of his time was spent in a basement dungeon. He said the guards put him there so they could monitor him for depression. "They stick you in the worst, dimmest, darkest place in the prison," he says. "I couldn't even see the sun to tell what part of the day it was. It was just steadily lessening levels of gloom." [10]

The third single, "Overlord", was released on June 30, 2015. Blythe said the song is about the dangers of self-obsession in our distressingly myopic and increasingly entitled 'me-now/now-me' culture. It is about how many people cannot seem to look past their own relatively small problems to see the bigger picture, and how everyday problems do not in any way shape or form constitute an emergency. Blythe commented: "Sometimes things just don't work out the way we want them to, [so] deal with it. People who only see their own problems eventually wind up alone because no one wants to hear their crap anymore. We all know someone like that, always whining and complaining about some inconsequential setback as if it were the apocalypse. This song is for those people." [3]

A fourth single, "Erase This", was made available for streaming on July 10, 2015. Guitarist Mark Morton told Rolling Stone the song is about "negative people and how they can drag you down without you realizing it. It's about people you might be close to, but who are stuck in their own self-pity and that kind of energy can spread like a virus". "Most of us as humans have been on both the giving and receiving end of that kind of attitude, but the older I get, the more I try to focus on not allowing that type of vibe to enter my mindset." He also said, musically, "it's trademark Lamb of God riffing," and compared it to "Laid to Rest" from 2004's Ashes of the Wake . [11]

On July 17, 2015, a week before the album's release, a fifth song entitled "Embers" was released. The song features a guest vocal appearance from Chino Moreno of Deftones. Randy Blythe says the lyrics deal with how loss affects interpersonal relationships in terms of a family dynamic, and if a family member dies, that can really twist things up. Blythe commented further, saying: "I used a sort of 'oceanic' vibe in the lyrics. I'm talking about I've been staring at her laying still for so long, and I'm talking about the ocean at that point. The ocean is a metaphor for life." Blythe also said when the song was written there were two different endings. The first one was "'Lamb of God-like" which is "boring" and "done it a million times", said Blythe. Guitarist Mark Morton wrote the second ending and when Blythe was down at the beach writing his book and listening to it he says he could hear Chino's vocals on it and is a huge Deftones fan. [12]

"Footprints" is an ecological song according to Blythe. While he was living at the beach during the making of the album, for the summer, he remembered how much he hated tourist season. "There is no reason for tourists to behave like fucking animals and children. The locals are not your goddamn maids, and if you want the beach to be nice or the mountaintop to be nice or the town to remain picturesque, don't like throw trash everywhere, don't destroy beauty...So 'Footprints' is about [carbon] footprints."

"Anthropoid" is about Reinhard Heydrich who was the architect of the Final Solution during World War II. When the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia, they sent Heydrich. Heydrich was brutal to the people of Prague and broke their spirits. Due to his brutal efficiency, Heydrich was nicknamed the Butcher of Prague, the Blond Beast, and the Hangman. Later, a group of Czechoslovakia-born, British-trained paratroopers carried out the only successful assassination attempt on a high-ranking Nazi official when they attacked Heydrich during Operation Anthropoid on May 27, 1942, who died a few days later from his injuries. Blythe considers them superior men, and wanted to honor them with a song. So the song is about them and killing the Butcher of Prague. [13]

"Engage the Fear Machine" is about the media using scare tactics and controlling the masses through fear. Since the band was flying around a lot during that time Blythe says he remembers seeing all of the stories about Ebola and how insane he thought it was. Blythe says: "What ever happened to Ebola? How long ago was that? We were all going to die, you know? The news just takes everything to the next limit, and it keeps viewers glued to the TV and it brings in advertiser dollars." [13]

"Delusion Pandemic" is about how the Internet is a useful tool, and one can use it to learn, but it has also created a creatively stifled environment. "I do not like mashup culture." Blythe says. "There is nothing original about it. It's a waste of my cerebral space. Everything's getting shittier and shittier and shittier. I mean, I'm not Ernest Hemingway or whatever, I'm not the new greatest photographer in the world, but at least I'm writing my own stuff and I'm doing my own thing. Internet memes? Why are you paying attention to this? Why is there some stupid picture that you put some stupid little things on that say something dumb? This is cerebral garbage. You are clogging your mind". [13]

"Torches" was inspired by a Czech student named Jan Palach. In 1968 the Warsaw Pact invaded Czechoslovakia in an attempt to keep the Czech people under communist rule. Since the Nazis had already destroyed and brutalized Czechoslovakia during World War II, this student went to Wenceslas Square to the stairs of the National Museum during a busy time of the day and set himself on fire. He walked down the steps in protest and then died a few days later. He became a symbol of dissidence for the Czechs up until the end of the communist area. Blythe says he learned of the topic while awaiting his trial and had a lot of respect for him. It also made Blythe think about "what kind of mentality does a person have to be in to be so upset that you burn yourself alive? That's got to be an unpleasant way to go." The song was inspired by visiting Palach's grave. The song also features guest vocals by Greg Puciato of The Dillinger Escape Plan. [13]

Release and promotion

VII contains ten tracks [14] and a limited first pressing features two bonus tracks. [15] The album was also made available with exclusive bundles through the band's website. [16]

The first single "Still Echoes" was made available for streaming on the band website, and was also available for download on May 18, 2015, through all digital retailers. The album's second single, "512", was made available for streaming on the band's official YouTube channel on June 8, 2015. The official music video for "512" premiered on June 12, 2015. [2] The official music video for the album's third single, "Overlord", premiered on June 30, 2015, and was also made available through digital retailers. [3] The album's fourth single "Erase This" was made available for streaming on July 10, 2015. [11] The album's fifth single, "Embers", was released July 17, 2015, a week before the album's release, and features guest vocals from Chino Moreno of Deftones. [12]

Reception

VII: Sturm und Drang
Lamb of God - VII Sturm und Drang.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 24, 2015 (2015-07-24)
Studio
Genre
Length48:07
Label
Producer Josh Wilbur
Lamb of God chronology
Resolution
(2012)
VII: Sturm und Drang
(2015)
Lamb of God
(2020)
Lamb of God overall chronology
Resolution
(2012)
VII: Sturm und Drang
(2015)
Legion: XX
(2018)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 73/100 [17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [18]
The A.V. Club (C) [19]
Blabbermouth 9/10 [20]
Boston Globe (Favorable) [21]
Pitchfork Media (7.8/10) [22]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [23]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [24]

Upon the release, the album has received a score of 73 out of 100 on review aggregator site Metacritic based on 13 reviews, indicating "Generally favorable reviews". [17] Blabbermouth's Ray Van Horn, Jr gave a positive review of the album, citing "Still Echoes" and "Overlord", among other songs, for praise. [20] The album was included at number 20 on Rock Sound's top 50 releases of 2015 list, [25] while MetalSucks voted it the best metal album of 2015. [26] It was honored with a 2015 Metal Storm Award for Best Thrash Metal Album. [27] It has sold over 100,000 copies in America.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Lamb of God [28]

VII: Sturm und Drang track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Still Echoes"4:22
2."Erase This"5:08
3."512"4:44
4."Embers" (featuring Chino Moreno)4:56
5."Footprints"4:24
6."Overlord"6:28
7."Anthropoid"3:38
8."Engage the Fear Machine"4:48
9."Delusion Pandemic"4:22
10."Torches" (featuring Greg Puciato)5:17
Total length:48:07
Limited digipak edition & F.Y.E. exclusive edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Wine & Piss"3:33
12."Nightmare Seeker (The Little Red House)"4:56
Total length:56:36
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Wine & Piss"3:33
12."Nightmare Seeker (The Little Red House)"4:56
13."Ruin" (Live at Rock am Ring 2015)4:16
14."Still Echoes" (Live at Rock am Ring 2015)4:34
Total length:65:26
F.Y.E. exclusive edition bonus CD
No.TitleLength
1."Still Echoes" (instrumental)4:22
2."Erase This" (instrumental)5:08
3."512" (instrumental)4:44
4."Embers" (instrumental)4:56
5."Footprints" (instrumental)4:24
6."Overlord" (instrumental)6:28
7."Anthropoid" (instrumental)3:38
8."Engage the Fear Machine" (instrumental)4:48
9."Delusion Pandemic" (instrumental)4:22
10."Torches" (instrumental)5:17
11."Wine & Piss" (instrumental)3:33
12."Nightmare Seeker (The Little Red House)" (instrumental)4:56
Total length:56:36

Credits

As adapted from album liner notes [28]

Lamb of God

Guest musicians

Production

Studios

Charts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chino Moreno</span> American singer

Camillo "Chino" Wong Moreno is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the metal band Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project groups Team Sleep, Crosses, and Palms.

<i>White Pony</i> 2000 studio album by Deftones

White Pony is the third studio album by the American alternative metal band Deftones, released on June 20, 2000, through Maverick Records. It was produced by Terry Date, who produced the band's first two albums, Adrenaline (1995) and Around the Fur (1997). Recording sessions took place between August and December 1999 at Larrabee Sound Studios in West Hollywood and The Plant Recording Studios in Sausalito, California.

<i>Deftones</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Deftones

Deftones is the fourth studio album by the American alternative metal band Deftones, released on May 20, 2003, by Maverick Records. The album features a strong change in musical direction from the band's previous albums, ranging from some of their heavier compositions to moody trip hop and shoegaze influences. It was also the band's last release to be produced by Terry Date until Ohms in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamb of God (band)</span> American heavy metal band

Lamb of God is an American heavy metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994 as Burn the Priest, the group consists of bassist John Campbell, vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, and drummer Art Cruz. The band is considered a significant member of the new wave of American heavy metal movement.

512 is the natural number following 511 and preceding 513.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Blythe</span> American vocalist

David RandallBlythe is an American vocalist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of heavy metal band Lamb of God and Burn The Priest. He has also performed guest vocals for Cannabis Corpse, A Life Once Lost, Overkill, Gojira, Pitch Black Forecast, Eyehategod, Eluveitie, Bad Brains, Soulfly, Clutch, Body Count, DevilDriver, Suicide Silence, Doyle, Metal Allegiance, and Voodoo Glow Skulls, and is the lead singer of side-project band Halo of Locusts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Morton (guitarist)</span> American musician (born 1972)

Mark Duane Morton is an American musician who is the lead guitarist and one of the founding members of the groove metal band Lamb of God.

<i>Sacrament</i> (album) 2006 studio album by Lamb of God

Sacrament is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Lamb of God. Released on August 22, 2006, Sacrament debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 charts with first-week sales of 63,000. The album was the top-selling heavy metal album of 2006 and received the Album of the Year award from Revolver magazine. As of 2010, it has sold over 331,000 copies in the United States, and was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 27, 2019.

<i>Saturday Night Wrist</i> 2006 studio album by Deftones

Saturday Night Wrist is the fifth studio album by the American alternative metal band Deftones, released on October 31, 2006, by Maverick Records. Despite early contributions that were later scrapped, it marked the departure of Terry Date, who had produced the band's first four albums. It was also the last Deftones album with bassist Chi Cheng, as well as the last album of his career and his lifetime, prior to being involved in a serious car accident in 2008, which put him in a coma. He eventually died five years later from cardiac arrest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamb of God discography</span>

The following is the discography of the American metal band Lamb of God. Originally known under the moniker "Burn the Priest", the band was founded in 1994 by Chris Adler, John Campbell and Mark Morton. In 1999, Burn the Priest released their self-titled full-length debut, released through Legion Records, shortly after the release, the band changed its name to "Lamb of God" and signed a record deal with Prosthetic Records. The group's next album, New American Gospel, was released in 2000. Produced by Devin Townsend, 2003's As the Palaces Burn was critically acclaimed, with Revolver magazine awarding it "Album of the Year".

Embers is a 1959 radio play by Samuel Beckett.

<i>Wrath</i> (Lamb of God album) 2009 studio album by Lamb of God

Wrath is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Lamb of God. It was internationally released on February 23, 2009 via Roadrunner Records in Europe, Japan and Australia, and on February 24, 2009 via Epic Records in the U.S and Canada. It peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200, becoming the band's most successful album on the chart, and sold 68,000 units in the U.S. during its first week of release. As of 2010, it has sold over 202,000 copies in the United States.

<i>Diamond Eyes</i> 2010 studio album by Deftones

Diamond Eyes is the sixth studio album by the American alternative metal band Deftones, released on May 4, 2010, by Reprise Records. It was the first album to feature bassist Sergio Vega, who replaced original bassist Chi Cheng. An album tentatively titled Eros was originally intended to be the band's sixth full-length release following Saturday Night Wrist (2006), but was not finished due to Cheng entering a coma after a serious car accident that occurred in November 2008, eventually resulting in his death in 2013. The band continued on with Vega as his replacement, and the release of Eros was put on hold in favor of Diamond Eyes in June 2009.

<i>Resolution</i> (Lamb of God album) 2012 studio album by Lamb of God

Resolution is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Lamb of God. It is available on a single disc CD or a two-disc deluxe edition.

<i>Koi No Yokan</i> 2012 album by Deftones

Koi No Yokan is the seventh studio album by the American alternative metal band Deftones, released on November 12, 2012, by Reprise Records. Its title is a phrase from the Japanese language "恋の予感", translating to "premonition of love".

"Honey Bucket" is a song by American rock band Melvins. The song was released as the third single from their fifth album, Houdini (1993). It is the fifth track off the album.

<i>Gore</i> (Deftones album) 2016 studio album by Deftones

Gore is the eighth studio album by the American alternative metal band Deftones, released on April 8, 2016, by Reprise Records. Its release was met with critical acclaim, debuting at number two on the US Billboard 200; it is the band's fifth album to debut within the chart's top-ten and is their highest-charting since their 2003 eponymous album.

<i>Ritual</i> (Soulfly album) 2018 studio album by Soulfly

Ritual is the eleventh album by American heavy metal band Soulfly, released on October 19, 2018, through Nuclear Blast. It is the third Soulfly album with Max Cavalera's son Zyon behind the drum kit, and the last album to feature lead guitarist Marc Rizzo, and features musical guests Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, Ross Dolan of Immolation, and Mark Damon of The Pretty Reckless. Four singles were released from the album—"Evil Empowered", title track "Ritual", "Dead Behind the Eyes", and "Under Rapture".

<i>Lamb of God</i> (album) 2020 studio album by Lamb of God

Lamb of God is the tenth studio album by American heavy metal band Lamb of God. The album was initially set for release on May 8, 2020, through Epic and Nuclear Blast, but was later pushed back to June 19 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lamb of God marks the first studio album of all-new material by the band since 2015's VII: Sturm und Drang, making it the longest gap between their albums, and the first to feature Art Cruz as the replacement for original drummer Chris Adler, who left the band in July 2019. Lamb of God was once again produced by longtime collaborator Josh Wilbur, who has worked with the band since 2006's Sacrament.

<i>Ohms</i> (album) 2020 studio album by Deftones

Ohms is the ninth studio album by the American alternative metal band Deftones, released on September 25, 2020, through Reprise Records. The album was produced by Terry Date, making it their first collaboration since the unreleased Eros and the final with bassist Sergio Vega who departed from the band in early 2021. The album was preceded by the release of two singles: "Ohms" and "Genesis". The song "Ceremony" was later released as a single. Ohms received acclaim from critics. The opening track "Genesis" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance and the closing track and title track Ohms was nominated for Best Rock Performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Hartmann, Graham "Gruhammed" (May 15, 2015). "Lamb of God Reveal 'VII: Sturm Und Drang' Album Details + New Song 'Still Echoes'". Loudwire.com. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Video Premiere: Lamb Of God's '512'". Blabbermouth.net. June 12, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Video Premiere: Lamb Of God's 'Overlord'". Blabbermouth.net. April 17, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  4. Childers, Chad (July 10, 2015). "Lamb of God Unleash 'Erase This' Song Ahead of New Album Release". Loudwire.com. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  5. Hartmann, Graham (July 17, 2015). "Lamb of God Unveil New Track 'Embers' Featuring Deftones' Chino Moreno Release". Loudwire.com. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  6. "VII: Sturm Und Drang by Lamb of God - info and shop at Nuclear Blast". Nuclearblast.de. Nuclear Blast . Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  7. "Lamb Of God: 'VII: Sturm Und Drang' Track Listing Unveiled". Blabbermouth.net. June 6, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  8. Titus, Christa (May 19, 2015). "Lamb of God's 'VII' Is Less 'Schizophrenic' Than Previous Albums, Randy Blythe Says". Billboard.com. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  9. Grow, Kory (May 5, 2015). "Inside Lamb of God's Prison-Themed New Single 'Still Echoes'". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  10. Grow, Kory (June 8, 2015). "Lamb of God on How Prison Inspired Raging New Song '512'". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  11. 1 2 "Audio Premiere: Lamb of God's 'Erase This'". Blabbermouth.net. July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  12. 1 2 "Lamb of God Unveil 'Embers' Featuring Deftones' Chino Moreno". Loudwire.com. July 17, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Grow, Kory (June 30, 2015). "Lamb of God Break Down New Album 'VII: Sturm und Drang' Track by Track". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  14. Grow, Kory (May 15, 2015). "Inside Lamb of God's Prison-Themed new Single "Still Echoes"". Rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone . Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  15. "LAMB OF GOD - VII: Sturm und Drang". Nuclearblast.de. Nuclear Blast . Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  16. "Shop the Lamb of God Official Store". Lambofgod.shop.musictoday.com. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  17. 1 2 "Reviews for VII: Sturm und Drang by Lamb of God". Metacritic .
  18. James Christopher Monger. "VII: Sturm und Drang - Lamb of God album review". Allmusic .
  19. J. J., Anselmi (July 24, 2015). "Lamb Of God's latest is another step in the wrong direction". The A.V. Club . AVClub.com. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  20. 1 2 Van Horn, Ray Jr. (June 30, 2015). "Lamb of God - VII: Sturm und Drang". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  21. Morse, Steve (July 23, 2015). "Album Review: Lamb of God, VII: Sturn Und Drang". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  22. Currin, Grayson. "Lamb of God: VII: Sturm und Drang". Pitchfork Media . Pitchfork.com. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  23. "Slant review". Slantmagazine.com. July 19, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  24. "Lamb Of God: VII: Sturm und Drang review – ferocious and focused". TheGuardian.com . July 23, 2015.
  25. Bird, ed. 2016, p. 26
  26. The Top 15 Metal Albums of 2015 | Critical Condition | MetalSucks. YouTube . Archived from the original on December 11, 2021.
  27. "Metal Storm Awards 2015".
  28. 1 2 VII: Sturm Und Drang liner notes. Epic Records. p. 10.
  29. "Australiancharts.com – Lamb of God – VII - Sturm und Drang". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  30. "Austriancharts.at – Lamb of God – VII - Sturm und Drang" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  31. "Ultratop.be – Lamb of God – VII - Sturm und Drang" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  32. "Ultratop.be – Lamb of God – VII - Sturm und Drang" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  33. "Lamb of God Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  34. "Danishcharts.dk – Lamb of God – VII - Sturm und Drang". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  35. "Dutchcharts.nl – Lamb of God – VII - Sturm und Drang" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  36. "Lamb of God: VII - Sturm und Drang" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  37. "Lescharts.com – Lamb of God – VII - Sturm und Drang". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  38. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  39. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2015. 31. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  40. "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 31, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  41. "Italiancharts.com – Lamb of God – VII - Sturm und Drang". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  42. "VIIシュトゥルム・ウント・ドラング~疾風怒濤 | ラム・オブ・ゴッド" (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  43. "Charts.nz – Lamb of God – VII - Sturm und Drang". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  44. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  45. "Swedishcharts.com – Lamb of God – VII - Sturm und Drang". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  46. "Swisscharts.com – Lamb of God – VII - Sturm und Drang". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  47. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  48. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  49. "Lamb of God Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  50. "Lamb of God Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  51. "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2015". Billboard. Retrieved October 28, 2020.

Sources