As far as mainstream Modern Metal goes, LAMB OF GOD have long since been the best there is.  Album after album they are nothing if not a consistent breath of fresh air among all the other so called Metalcore or Screamo bands.   Simply put, they are pure straight ahead American Metal; despite their popularity, I think they are still underrated.  Their new EP, "The Duke," won't win over any new fans, but die-hard fans, such as myself, will find a lot to enjoy.

The first two tracks are studio recordings, although neither one is technically new since they were recorded in previous album sessions.  I won't go into the story here as a quick google will suffice but the fan dedicated track "The Duke," is the focal point obviously.  The story behind it is great and is obviously for a good cause.  In addition, it is very, very cool that Randy Blythe and the rest of the band care so much; it shows a lot of heart, something that is often missing in metal. The song itself is pretty good but it sounds a bit different for the band.

Randy has for a while now been experimenting with his voice, and  he does have a nice sound but it does make the song seem slightly radio rock-ish. He does scream a little but the songs always feels like they're about to burst wide open but it really never happens. The lyrics are well thought out and sincere with a great chorus. Musically, the guitars are simple but are heavy with enough groove to not keep the song's dark subject matter from making your head bang.  Mark Morton and Will Adler continue to showcase themselves as riff and groove masters.  As always, the bass and drums, provided by John Campbell and Chris Adler respectively, are the best backbone in mainstream metal.

The next song, CULLING, is back to the LOG we all know and love. Its fast, furious, and Randy's vocal assault is commanding, as the rest of the band's playing.  It features a nice, heavy bridge that leads into a short but very sweet guitar solo. The songs ends with a bang, the whole band firing on all cylinders while Randy screams his ass off.  The next three tracks are live songs from their previous album. There isn't a live album or DVD that could ever be made that can capture the intensity of one of their live shows but the songs do sound great and have some energy in their own right.  At the very least it shows the band is as good live as they are in the studio, if not better.