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Despite a serious lack of original or inventive music in the metal world, Virginia metalcore outfit Lamb of God are doing their best to keep the flame alive.

With “Resolution,” the band’s seventh studio album, Lamb of God takes their brand of southern infused groove metal and turns it up a notch with relentless riffs, virtuosic guitars and drum solos that suggests that Lamb of God could eventually join the ranks of great metal bands like Pantera and Slayer.

On the first song, “Straight for the Sun,” Randy Blythe’s vocals are somewhat reminiscent of a Cannibal Corpse vocal track, which is perfectly complimented by the dark, sludgy guitar that is laid down underneath it. The song sounds evil, like something they would play in the elevator ride to hell.

Yet, the best part of the track doesn’t come until Chris Adler channels his inner John Bonham with a gut-busting drum solo that kicks right into the next track.

Although “Resolution” provides the same metalcore that fans of Lamb of God have loved on their first six albums, in its own right, the newest album is an experimental one.

For instance, the first single off the album, “Ghost Walking,” begins with a haunting acoustic guitar intro that gives the song an added dimension.

On “The Number Six,” not only does the song feature beautiful bass fills provided by John Campbell but also includes a breakdown that juxtaposes spoken word lyrics right along side Blythe’s demonic growl — it’s interesting to say the least.

The experimentation doesn’t stop there. On the song, “Insurrection,” Blythe shows the listeners that he is more than just a death metal vocalist by presenting his actual singing voice.

Even though he doesn’t possess a vast vocal range, his real voice combined with that unmistakable scream provides a nice mix for the track.

Despite all the experimentation, at times, the record can feel a little repetitive. The song “Undertow,” for example, clocks in around five minutes long, but probably should have ended before three.

Although there is a decent melodic guitar solo on the track, it is only a slight deviation that fails to enhance the continuously looping riffs and lyrics.

Overall, “Resolution” isn’t a metal masterpiece — it won’t win awards and go down in history as one of the greatest albums of all time.

But I believe this is a transitional period for the band, a preview of what’s to come.

If Lamb of God keeps going in the direction they have set out for on this record, I believe that greatness lies ahead for them, and not just in the metal community, but the music world as a whole.

3.5/5 stars

Noteworthy tracks: “Straight for the Sun” “The Number Six”