Lamb Of God, “Omens.”

Few metal acts carry the banner for hardcore heavy metal like Virginia quintet Lamb of God. While some bands have branched out into pop, electronica or more melodic elements, LOG has stuck to its guns to deliver some of the most reliably brutal material in heavy music. Despite that, the band still achieves diversity through its aggression, pushing barriers to deliver an unrelenting sound.

The band’s latest work captures lightning in a bottle, presenting a record that feels like it’s being performed live with the band in one room. There’s a good reason for that. Lamb of God recorded live with longtime producer Josh Wilbur. That keeps up the momentum from the band’s 2020 self-titled album.

Tracks like opener “Nevermore” roar from the speakers with guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler trading machine-gun guitar riffs over the punishing rhythms of drummer Art Cruz. Vocalist Randy Blythe does mix in some melody in between the guttural groundswell of screams.

“Vanishing” brings a mix of thrash and hardcore metal with plenty of time changes keeping things dynamic.

“That world is dead/ Just memories/ A faded scene inside of me/ Vanishing,” Blythe screams.

Morton particularly remains one of heavy metal’s guitar heroes. On the heels of his own solo work, the guitarist dishes out pinpoint riffs all over the record. “Vanishing” builds to a chaotic crescendo with the band rolling on all cylinders. The thrash continues on “To the Grave,” driven by Cruz’s thunderous drumming and Blythe’s brooding vocals. Things ramp up even further on the driving “Ditch,” which has an extreme double bass that moves it forward.

“You’re face down, down in a ditch that you dug yourself/ You can live and die by the hand you’re dealt,” Blythe sings, his rage emanating from each passing verse.

The vocalist has said the record is his response to the state of the world. It’s a “pissed off” album with a message that’s eminently clear from the start through the conclusion.

The album’s 10 tracks are aggressive and dynamic without necessarily being progressive, at least in the traditional sense. Most range in the three to four minutes and make their point directly without much wandering. The title track actually begins as a more contemporary hard rock song, albeit a heavy one, before building into a full-scale assault of metal.

“Everything is doomed to fail,” Blythe declares during the brutal “Gomorrah,” an unapologetic track that grabs the listener and doesn’t let go.

The heavy thrash returns on “III Designs,” once again built around distortion-soaked riffs, this time along with a light-speed solo by Morton. Blythe’s greatest intensity comes on “Grayscale,” which feature’s some of the vocalist’s most guttural growls. That keeps up into “Denial Mechanism,” a quick two-and-a-half-minute thrash spectacle that’s a throwback to the genre’s roots.

The record’s sharpest curveball comes on its final track, the six-minute opus “September Song.” This is the one track here that leans toward a more progressive structure, starting from a more melodic place and quickly building in momentum and power. The final moments include a dramatic orchestral accompaniment with equally dramatic chanting. It’s a striking finish to an already impressive album and showcases the full range and scale of the band’s abilities. Lamb of God supplants its status as one of the preeminent names in heavy music, with little sign of slowing.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.