It ain't easy being original if you're a metal band. Graybeards Metallica and Slayer already used up all the meanest riffs. And today's vocal style dictates a range that falls somewhere between grr and grrr. Still, inventive or not (and, yes, the title of Lamb of God's sixth album is a laughable cliche), this Richmond quintet exudes an unmistakable roar. Lamb of God isn't a band. It's a band saw.

If the group's last CD was a stumble, "Wrath" angrily pumps another shell into the chamber. It's not as jolting as Lamb of God's peak -- 2003's "As the Palaces Burn" and 2004's "Ashes of the Wake" -- but the execution is similarly relentless. Guitarists Willie Adler and Mark Morton, along with bassist John Campbell, rely on snaking, anaconda-fat grooves when they're not cutting concise strips of gleaming metal. Machine-like drummer Chris Adler double-clutches tempos with rat-a-tat blasts and percussion flourishes. Frontman Randy Blythe summons an instantly recognizable wind-tunnel growl with impressive textural variety and sharpened clarity.

In other words, it's another Lamb of God album -- with a few twists. Aggro fans may raise an eyebrow at the occasional acoustic guitar intro. During "Reclamation," the band goes on a seven-minute spiritual journey launched by New Age ocean waves. And is that a sitar in "Fake Messiah"? Guitar conflagration "In Your Words" will snap your neck before you have time to figure any of this stuff out. Better yet, the first 100,000 album buyers qualify for a 100-winner contest with prizes ranging from European festival trips to a barbecue at your home hosted by Blythe. Thrash burgers? Perhaps originality is alive and well in metal after all.

-- Michael Deeds, Feb. 2009