Lamb of God @ 713 Music Hall - Houston, TX

Metal lords Lamb of God rolled into Houston’s 713 Music Hall Wednesday afternoon for their very much anticipated “omens” tour. Joining them on the bill were also metal gurus, Killswitch Engage, Animals as Leaders, and Fit for An Autopsy. Houstonians were stoked crowding into the venue and ready to get their eardrums blasted with awesome music for the night. Passing through the sea of black Lamb of God T-shirts I decided to make my way to the merch booth to get my very own to represent throughout the night… and once I put that one, it was go-time, and I was also ready to get my own eardrums blasted. Being a huge Lamb of God fan, my excitement was so difficult to contain and I honestly could not wait any longer for what was in store for the night.

Starting off the evening, Fit for An Autopsy stormed on stage pumping the crowd up asking Houston, “ARE YOU READY FOR A KICK ASS NIGHT?” and sure enough, we were all unquestionably ready. This was my first time seeing Fit for An Autopsy and I must say, I was extremely impressed. Their sound was so perfectly pitched together, their energy was enormous and they honestly just seemed like fun dudes who just love all things metal. Playing jams ‘Your Pain Is Mine’, ‘Far from Heaven’, Black Mammoth, and more… they really did start the night off with a bang.

Instrumental metal experts, Animals as Leaders, were up next instantly blaring ‘Micro-Aggressions’ and holy cow… Where have these guys been all my life? I’m usually not one who is into instrumental bands… for some reason I just connect to music more when there is words and stories involved but this band completely changed that for me. Just their music alone really grabs you in a way and tells its own stories through the flow and the rhythm they unleash. Its passionate, exhilarating, and powerful. To say I was amazed is an understatement. Animals As Leaders absolutely rocked it that night. Once their set was done everyone in the crowd was applauding these guys obviously for how crazy talented they are. If the night wasn’t warmed up already, it definitely was after that performance.

Killswitch Engage was now up front and center… and that was when the crowd really got wild. If you know Killswitch, you know the shows they put on are always a blast especially with their guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, who will ALWAYS get an honorable mention from me simply because of how entertaining he is. During their hour set, they covered a wide range of their albums… from ‘Atonement’, ‘Incarnate’, ‘The End of Heartache’, and more, they certainly pleased their fans that night with an obvious enjoyable setlist. Every single sweaty human was screaming along to each song, I even looked over and saw this little girl who had to be 8 or 9 years old on what I’m guessing was her mother’s shoulders also singing along with many songs… Now that is parenting done right and was truly one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen. Throughout their set, I couldn’t help but notice just how precise they sounded, still after all these years they sound just the same and still have that same exact energy.

Speaking of energy, I look back up to the stage and there goes Adam, now exiting the stage, guitar still in hand and running through the crowd while still playing…. No wonder he’s always in shape. This guy is just crazy awesome! Killswitch Engage will forever and always be an incredible band to see live, so if they are ever in your area… you must go see them!

It was now time. Lamb Of God time.

The set started with a huge curtain covering the stage and the beginning of ‘Memento Mori’ playing piercingly. The crowd quickly squirmed together and it was really time to let loose and once that curtain fell and Lamb of God was of full display, things got METAL. Almost instantly, there was crowd surfers, circle pits, and full-on rage and it was truly the moment everyone was waiting for. Lamb Of God’s Randy Blythe was the most alive I’ve ever seen him… jumping from podium to podium and running back and forth from each side of the stage, his energy was just immense and that same energy reflected off each and every attendee in that crowd. Can I also just say that he has the most fabulous hair? Those dreads flying through the air, headbang after headbang is probably one of my favorite things to see (and photograph).

Playing all of their hits including ‘Walk with Me in Hell’, ‘Ruin’, ‘512’, and more… each song just kept getting better and better. Pyro was blasting behind them constantly leaving the crowd more pumped up throughout the set. As the music played on, the circle pits got bigger and wilder and everyone was truly having the time of their lives.

Finishing the night with ‘Laid to Rest’ and ‘Redneck’ made for an unforgettable set.

Lamb Of God never fails to deliver a one-of-a-kind performance…they always seem to bring in a wicked mixture of rage, brutality, and excitement that keeps them truly unique compared to many other metal bands.